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Benton Harbor joins Shoreline Fire Collaborative to standardize training and save costs
Summary
City officials heard a presentation on a new Shoreline Fire Collaborative with neighboring departments intended to standardize operating procedures and training and capture cost savings through group purchasing; the group reportedly produced a 19‑person response to a recent Ogden house fire that would have exceeded one department's capacity.
Brian, a public‑safety presenter, told the committee that Benton Harbor and nearby jurisdictions formed the Shoreline Fire Collaborative to align standard operating procedures and training across Benton Township, St. Joseph, Lake Township, Lincoln Township and Benton Charter Township so responding units operate "off the same sheet of music." He said the collaborative is intended to reduce duplication and lower costs through group purchasing; as one example he cited a roughly $400 per turnout set discount when buying gear collectively.
Brian said the collaborative is early in its work and that partners will begin formal policy discussions the next day. He described a recent house fire on the 900 block of Ogden where pooled resources produced a 19‑person response from multiple departments, noting a typical house fire requires a minimum of about 15 responders. He framed the initiative as both a safety and fiscal measure: shared training reduces confusion at mutual incidents and combined procurement avoids redundant apparatus in a small geographic area.
Committee members asked how mutual aid works and Brian explained mutual aid under the county mutual‑aid agreement is reciprocal and generally imposes no direct cost on the community requesting help unless an incident exceeds 24 hours; longer incidents may require state or federal reimbursement. Commissioners and staff expressed support for continuing the collaboration and agreed the presentation was educational; the committee offered support to move the work forward through intergovernmental coordination and later committee updates.
The session closed the Shoreline item as informational and the committee expressed support for advancing the collaborative through further interagency policy work and oversight by Benton Harbor staff and partners.
