(WXYZ) — For the first time in history, the Woodhaven Fire Department is asking residents to support a millage proposal that would allow the eight-person crew to double and go full time.
The mayor and the fire chief believe they need a full-time fire department to keep up with the increasing population and the rise in calls 911.
As I was pulling up to the Woodhaven fire station, crews were pulling out. Fire Chief Brad Myles tells me they were dealing with two different emergencies at the same time.
“We have a gas leak going on right now and a medical emergency going on right now," Myles said.
The mostly part-time department had to ask surrounding areas for help. Myles said it's something they do often, especially since the number of 911 calls are increasing.
“I started back in 1996, we had less than 800 calls. This past year we finished at 2,200 calls. This year we’ll finish around 2,500 calls," Myles said.
Mayor Patricia Odette has been the mayor for 15 years, and she's seen the population grow across the city.
“There was probably nothing at West and Allen when I first became mayor and now the city’s booming with restaurants, stores," Odette said. "People don’t realize about 30,000 people a day come through the City of Woodhaven. Although our population is around 13,000, we have approximately 30,000 people who travel through our city every day.”
Because of this, for the first time, the fire department and the city are asking residents to vote for a public safety millage proposal.
The millage reads: "Shall Article 11 of the Charter of the City of Woodhaven, Michigan, be amended so as to permit the levy by the City of an additional ad valorem tax in an amount not to exceed three (3) mills for five (5) years, for such millage to be used for providing Fire Department emergency Services, dispatch and Protection from July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2030?"
“We can take a good fire department and make it even better," she said.
The millage would:
- Make the department full-time, adding eight more full-time firefighters to the eight they already have
- Add more dispatchers who would also be medically trained – the city currently has one
- Reduce dispatch costs by over 60%
Odette said it wouldn't cost residents more money.
“We had initially put a street millage in which we had effectively done many of the streets, but at this point, we’ve come to a decision to now, it’s kind of like your own pocketbook. What is my priority here, and my priority as their mayor, and they all know it is safety. So, it’s revenue neutral, so their taxes will not be raised," Odette said.
Most voters we spoke with are all for the proposal.
“Having only one person on duty to take the calls, that’s ridiculous. So yeah we need it. Need it bad," one person said.
“I voted for it because I’ve lived in the City of Woodhaven for a very long time and I just want to keep our city safe," another told us.
“So many of us, because it’s a great community, have chosen to stay here and now we’re in our 70s and we need that kind of resource to help us stay safe and stay in our homes," someone said.
Voters who are on the fence are more concerned with the delays caused by the railroad crossings in the city and it's impact on the current fire department. It's a story we've been covering since 2020.
A member of the community who is voting no reached out to me on Facebook and provided us with a comment that says in part, "“What good is more fireman (sic) and or trucks when we are always blocked in three different directions by 30-40 minute trains. Time is of the essence with emergency responders. I lived here 22 years now and this was supposed to happen two times now and they failed the people. The tracks must be done before anything"
For the people that might vote no or are voting no, they mentioned something about the railroad tracks, how there was supposed to be an overpass built, and that wasn’t done, do you have anything to say?" I asked.
WATCH BELOW: Plans move ahead for 'ambitious' $39M project to address Woodhaven train delays
“No, no that’s still being done, that’s still in the process. That’s led by Wayne County. That’s their project. The streets where the railroad is on, those are Wayne County roads. But yes, no that’s still moving forward, the money is in place for that but I’m waiting on the county," Odette said.
The mayor said she's hoping the $39 million county project begins next summer, but right now, she's asking voters to help pass the public safety milalge proposal.
“We’re talking about going from eight firefighters to 16, not only firefighters but they’re paramedics, people who can save their lives," Odette said.
