Lansing area public safety faces changes

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Editor’s note: This is the second in a two-part series on changes to fire services in Lansing and East Lansing.

Change is afoot in the East Lansing Fire Department.

Fire Chief Randall Talifarro is a few days into his position as interim chief for both the Lansing and East Lansing fire departments. Former East Lansing Fire Marshal Bob Pratt said his goodbyes and retired last week, and his position will not be replaced, at least on the interim.

Although Talifarro now is chief of both the Lansing and East Lansing fire departments, the move is an administrative change and the departments themselves still are separate.

The changes come in the midst of a worrisome budget forecast and a region-wide study among six communities — Lansing, East Lansing, and Delta, Lansing, Delhi and Meridian townships — looking to see if shared fire services would save money and resources.

Although there still is some apprehension and concern about what the future holds, fire officials, employees, students and residents hope the changes are enough to keep fire services in East Lansing sufficient.

A “brain drain”
As cuts to statutory revenue and funding to local communities hit deeper and deeper, Pratt said he is concerned if legislators cut municipal government pensions or health care benefits, many firefighters eligible to retire would take the chance to do so with their benefits intact.
Pratt retired, in part, because of these concerns.

If this were to happen, he said, much of the institutional knowledge gathered by seasoned firefighters throughout the years would be lost.

Pratt said small details were key to knowing how to attack potential fires. He cited an instance when owners of a Grand River Avenue apartment complex added a peaked roof overtop an already existing flat roof, and firefighters who didn’t know about the situation likely would attempt to cut a hole in the roof to let air escape — a tactic that would not be useful in the long term.

“As people that know (about the roof) retire, less and less people are aware of it,” Pratt said. “Somewhere down the line, if we had a fire there, it could make a big difference in how it’s attacked.”

Another potential concern for residents is having firefighters trained in both firefighting and paramedics, East Lansing Councilmember Don Power said. Currently, all of East Lansing’s firefighters also are trained paramedics and are able to address emergency medical situations as well as fires.

If shared fire services are in East Lansing’s future, Power said he does not want to lose this expertise or have some firefighters who are not trained as paramedics, or vice versa.

“If we went into more of a metro system … we would, in effect, have a downsize in the type of service delivered,” Power said.

General management sophomore Kristina Kline said she is happy with the way the fire department is run and is confident that with the fire services currently provided by East Lansing, she would be well taken care of in an emergency situation.

“I haven’t really come to any encounters with the fire department, but I would trust them if I did,” Kline said. “If I had any encounters, then I know that I would feel safe.”

Budgets and transitions
Gerald Rodabaugh, president of the local 1609 Firefighters Union and East Lansing fire inspector, said he and other members of the union support the fire chief merger despite their initial apprehensions.

Rodabaugh said taking on a position that once was meant for two people is a difficult task — even in the hands of a capable administrator — and hopes the firefighters in the smaller city of East Lansing won’t get shortchanged of Talifarro’s time as the situation plays out.

“I think Randy’s been a great chief for us ­— it’s just a concern in time management,” Rodabaugh said. “It’s a wait and see approach.”

Although it’s “sometimes tough to share someone with someone else,” East Lansing Mayor Diane Goddeeris said she and other members of the East Lansing City Council were willing to try the setup in the hopes it would lead to future solutions in saving funds and continuing to provide public safety to the standards citizens now expect.

“Public safety is … something that is really important,” Goddeeris said. “(The fire chief merger) seemed a better chance because of the way the opportunity presented itself.”

No layoffs have been made in East Lansing’s fire department yet, but consolidations of positions have been made in both police and fire.

Power said laying off city employees is his “last choice.” But in the future, the city might not have other options unless the community takes a hard look at budget downsizing before it’s too late, he said.

Pratt said any cuts the fire department already has undergone likely are necessary for the city’s success, but cutting positions could have a negative affect on the city’s fire services if more long-term solutions are not created.

“It’s not something that we really can do anything about — the economic conditions are what the economic conditions are,” Pratt said. “I have big concerns that somewhere down the line there will be repercussions.”

Although he personally thinks Talifarro is up to the task and will be able to handle the situation, Pratt said it was important for officials to monitor and make sure the fire chief merger is something that can be handled properly on all levels.

“The devil is in the details,” Pratt said.

Staff reporter Samantha Radecki contributed to this report.

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