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Firefighters warn Macomb Township trustees staffing shortfalls are risking crews and residents
Summary
Union leaders and residents told trustees on Aug. 13 that the township’s fire department is critically understaffed, citing a recent incident where two firefighters were injured. Trustees said they would review staffing levels and continue discussions with department representatives.
Members of the Macomb Township Firefighters’ local and other residents pressed the Board of Trustees on Aug. 13 to address what they described as critical staffing shortages that, they said, put both firefighters and residents at risk.
Jim Muzinski, identified at the meeting as president of the Macomb Township firefighters’ union, urged immediate action after a recent house fire in which two firefighters were injured and multiple mutual-aid departments responded. "When a fire breaks out in Macomb Township, the people running toward the danger are not numbers on a budget sheet," Muzinski said at the board’s second public-comment period, arguing the department is chronically understaffed and that part-time staffing cannot reliably replace full-time crews.
A speaker who identified national standards summarized applicable guidance, saying NFPA 1710 "recommends a minimum of 4 firefighters per engine" and noted OSHA’s 2-in/2-out safety principle. Other public commenters, including a resident who drove from Highland to show support, urged the board to adopt staffing levels that meet those standards.
Board response and status
Trustees said they recognize the concerns and reiterated that the township previously ordered a full review of staffing levels. Supervisor Viviano and other trustees said the department has been through rapid organizational changes in recent years — a shift from paid-on-call to part-time and incremental additions of full-time staff and station bedroom renovations — and that those changes will be reviewed alongside staffing data.
Clerk Posey and several trustees pledged to work with department representatives and the union to seek solutions through budgeting, scheduling and negotiations. No formal action or personnel decisions were made at the meeting; trustees said they will analyze data, return with findings and continue discussions with the department’s representatives.
Context and concerns raised
Speakers at the meeting described multiple operational concerns: frequent unfilled part-time shifts, extended overtime, an instance of a reportedly inoperable hydrant (which the board later characterized in discussion as an unverified claim), and the risks of sending smaller crews into structure fires. The union urged the board to consider reallocating unused part-time dollars to hire full-time firefighters and to reduce overtime-related safety and cost pressures.
What’s next
Trustees said they will collect staffing data and deployment records, consider the results of the earlier staffing review already underway, and meet with union representatives and fire leadership to explore changes. Board members emphasized the goal of keeping firefighters safe while balancing fiscal considerations.
