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EWSPAPERS OF
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September 19, 2013
P
LYMOUTH
Board OKs new condo plan
Members of the Plymouth Township
Board of Trustees approved a planned
unit development contract and general
development plan for Canton Township
based builder Danny Veri of Livonia
Builders-Grandover ParkLLC.
Veri was at the regular meeting of the
board two weeks ago seeking approval
following approval of his site plan by the
townshipplanning commission in June.
His project, the Ravines of Plymouth,
is a 5-acre parcel located north of
PlymouthRoad betweenHines Drive and
HaggertyRoad.
The condominium development
would include five multiple-family resi-
dential buildings with a total of 68 units,
as planned.
“I'm hoping for a next summer start
up” saidVeri.
Pending resolution of some site and
construction details, the developer has 12
months to submit a final development
plan to the township.
patients receive and the significant
revenue the township forgoes by not
billing for transport to hospitals as
most communities do. He also said
that the outside ambulance service
is becoming less reliant and can add
upwards of 4-6 minutes to response
times in the township, “if they
respond at all.” He recommended,
“maintaining the current level of
Advanced Life Support ambulance
response and allowing the fire
department to perform the trans-
ports to offset operating costs.”
Wendel listed the current fire
department equipment which, he
said, “does not meet the current
safety standards and are subject to
failure with each passing day.” He
noted that the township does not
have an aerial truck to respond to
multi-story buildings.
The Self Contained Breathing
Apparatus bottles used by firefight-
ers need replacing, he said, and will
expire next year. The firefighters'
turnout gear is also set to expire
next year, he said, and must be
replaced. He also criticized the com-
munications equipment which is so
outdated parts are no longer avail-
able, the thermal cameras which are
10 years old, and the defibulators
which are 5-years-old and used on a
constant daily basis.
“Keep in mind, there have been
no capital purchases in the fire
department over the last four years
in trying to maintain a minimal
operating budget,”Wendel stated.
The communications equipment
is crucial to the deployment of fire
fighters to any emergency situation
and is the way in which dispatchers
send emergency response teams to
the scene.
Reaume also criticized the lack
of support for the fire department
from the township administration
and noted that tensions have been
high formore than three years, since
the downsizing of the department
began and union contract negotia-
tions reached an impasse, forcing
arbitration.
“The time has come to lead and
stop laying fault and blame. All
issues can be resolved if rational,
level-headed people sit and work
through the issues to everyone's ben-
efit,”Wendel stated in the letter.
Since early spring, board trustees
have been requesting a report from
Wendel regarding fire department
operations.
One trustee asking for such a
report wasBobDoroshewitz.
“While I supported fire reform, I
am concerned that the model as
implemented has not had the results
that were expected and should be
re-evaluated. I don't agree with
everything Chief Wendel said, but I
do agree that parties on both sides
should set aside their grudges and
work together to ensure that our
first priority is the safety of our fami-
lies,” Doroshewitz said, in response
toWendel's letter.
Wendel refused comment on his
letter saying only that he considered
it a privileged communication
between himself and his direct
supervisor (Reaume).
When the layoff and staff reduc-
tions began in the fire department in
2012, Reaume sent a newsletter to
residents in which he stated that
“the safety and security of everyone
inPlymouthTownship is our highest
priority. You will continue to receive
the same high-level, round-the-clock
fire and paramedic service that you
have always received.”
Subsequently, the fire depart-
ment was reduced to only 12 full-
time firefighters, or four per shift
assigned to two stations. The Lake
Pointe station, in the most populous
section of the township, was closed
because, according to Reaume's
newsletter, “the majority of calls for
medical assistance came from the
assisted living center.”
Reaume also said that the EMS
and fire Mutual Aid would continue
but last spring Canton Township,
Northville Township and the City of
Livonia informed Plymouth
Township that their departments
would no longer provide Mutual Aid
in the township when a private
ambulance service was also dis-
patched tomedical emergency calls.
In the most recent township
newsletter, Reaume stated, “After
almost a year in operation, the new
streamlined Fire and EMS
Department continues to perform at
a very efficient level. …We are
pleased to report that response
times township-wide continue to be
in the 4-minute and 20-second to 4-
minute and 40-second timeframe.”
According to Google Maps, a fire
engine or ambulance responding
fromBeck and Territorial RoadFire
Station No. 3 to the Friendship
Station-Senior
Center
on
Schoolcraft Road, located in the
LakePointe areawouldhave to trav-
el on Five Mile Road, a non-stan-
dard route, and have near perfect
conditions with no traffic, to get
there in 8 minutes. The distance is
4.1 miles. If Fire Station No. 1 on
Haggerty and Ann Arbor Roads
were dispatched to same address,
according to Google Maps the dis-
tance is a shorter 2.9 miles and the
travel time is 7minutes, also with no
traffic or trains blocking any road-
ways.
Fire engines travel at an average
of 40 m.p.h. according to national
reports. Reaume doesn't say who is
responding in his average time-
frame, which could mean a police
patrol car or a paid on-call firefight-
er in his car without fire or medical
emergency equipment.
Wendel apparently disagreed
with Reaume’s response claims, in
his letter which stated, “The layoff of
nine firefighters over the past two
years has placed the department in
jeopardy of failing to meet minimal
response standards which may have
dire consequences.”
Safety
FROM PAGE 1
Keep in mind, there
have been no capital
purchases in the
fire department over
the last four years...
”