By Bruce Rolfe
The Climax Township Fire Department is less then two weeks away from entering a new working agreement for providing fire and medical first responder services in Wakeshma Township but the local fire department is prepared and ready according to its fire chief.
Starting April 1, the Climax Township Fire Department will be responding first to fire and medical calls in neighboring Wakeshma Township after emergency services contracts were approved over a year ago by multiple local township boards.
The Wakeshma Township Board approved leaving the South Kalamazoo County Fire Authority (SKCFA) and approved contract language for the Climax Township Board to consider March 3, 2025.
The Climax Township Board approved the one-year agreement to provide fire and medical first responder services to Wakeshma Township residents at a March 11, 2025 board meeting.
According to the 2020 Census the population for Climax Township is 2,364.
Climax Township Fire Chief Scott Smith said the fire department’s coverage area in Climax Township is 36.2 square miles.
The 2020 Census lists the population of Wakeshma Township at 1,341. Smith thought the coverage area in Wakeshma Township is also approximately 36.2 square miles.
Smith said in the beginning of the new arrangement there may be some apprehension. But he points out in the grand scheme, all firefighters are trained the same. They just will be responding from a different area. The response time may wind up being the same, if not better.
“We’re about the same distance of where they (SKCFA) were coming from when you consider Vicksburg. Vicksburg’s on the very west side of Brady Township.
We’re on the very north side of Climax Township. It’s going to be basically the same. We’ve got a straight run down 42nd Street, where they (SKCFA) had a straight run on W Avenue,” explained Smith.
The one year agreement with Climax Township for fire and medical first responder service will be in exchange for $64,778 Wakeshma Township currently receives for a 1-mill fire millage in place.
Wakeshma Township Supervisor Jason Gatlin said Wakeshma Township currently pays the SKCFA a monthly fee of nearly $5,000.
Smith said based on run numbers for 2024, the Climax Township Fire Department ran 259 calls and spent roughly $120,000 which comes out to $463 per call. He said South Kalamazoo County Fire Authority had 98 calls for service in Wakeshma Township in 2022 and 2023 and 79 calls in 2024.
According to a South County Monthly Incident Summary, 5.90% of the South Kalamazoo County Fire Authority runs were in Wakeshma Township in 2024, 7.37% in 2023 and 7.06% in 2022.
Gatlin said the township board calculates Wakeshma Township’s cost with a contract with Climax Township will be approximately $706 per run, which he said is based on the annual cost to Climax Township divided by the average number of calls for service the last three years prior to the fiscal year 2025-2026.
The Wakeshma Township supervisor adds when he learned Brady Township was pulling out of the SKCFA and would no longer be available to respond, Wakeshma Township’s location was the biggest concern, leaving the potential for his township residents to become isolated. The closest municipality to Wakeshma Township in the SKCFA would be the Vicksburg Fire Department so it made sense to approach the Climax Township Board.
Gatlin said after the first year of the agreement, the two sides will review the number of calls for service and expense to determine if the current 1-mill fire millage in Wakeshma Township that will be considered in 2027, needs to be increased slightly.
Smith said for medical calls, Climax Township will be toned out first. For structure fire calls west of 42nd Street Climax Township and Pavilion Township will be toned out. For structure fire calls east of 42nd Street Climax Township and Athens Township will be toned out. Once there is a confirmed fire, four more departments will be toned out for tanker shuttle.
Smith said if no one is available to respond to a medical call on the west side of 42nd Street, Pavilion Township will likely be toned out and Athens Township would be toned out for medical calls on the east side of 42nd Street if no one from Climax Township is available.
The Climax Township fire chief said day time hours will be the biggest challenge with fewer firefighters available.
Smith said there is one firefighter that is a member of the South Kalamazoo County Fire Authority that was added to the Climax Township Fire Department about eight months ago, two other firefighters that will be added in March, one Climax firefighter that lives close to the Wakeshma Township line and one Climax medical first responder that lives in Wakeshma Township that has been with the Climax Township Fire Department for several years.
Smith said the local fire department has been training with some of the other fire departments they could be calling for mutual aid. He said Climax Township did extrication training with Leonidas Athens, Pavilion, and Union City recently.
“I think for the most part, it will be no different then how we run Climax Township. It’s just going to be a little more drive time,” said the Climax Township fire chief.
All equipment at the Wakeshma Township Fire station is the property of the Fire Authority and will go to the Fire Authority once the agreement ends.
The Climax Township Fire Department is not obligated to locate any buildings or equipment within Wakeshma Township to provide fire and medical first responder services, however Smith said the plan is to store one Climax Township vehicle at the Wakeshma Township Fire Station.
The Brady Township Board unanimously approved to sign an agreement with Charter Township of Pavilion for fire and medical first responder services and at the same time created a withdrawal notice from the South Kalamazoo County Fire Authority at a meeting last March also.
The Charter Township of Pavilion Board unanimously approved a one-year agreement with Brady Township to provide fire and medical first responder services for Brady Township at a March 10, 2025 meeting.
Those board actions set the stage for Wakeshma and Brady Townships to leave the SKCFA effective March 31, 2026.
Brady Township, Vicksburg Village, Prairie Ronde Township, Schoolcraft Township, Schoolcraft Village, and Wakeshma Township currently make up the South Kalamazoo County Fire Authority.
Brady Township Supervisor Randy Smith said the fee for each Local Unit of Government changes each year based on a formula that uses the previous year data. He said the formula is based on Local Unit of Government population (30%), Local Unit of Government taxable value (30%), and Local Unit of Government usage (number of hours spent in each Local Unit of Government (40%).
The Brady Township Supervisor said the agreement with Charter Township of Pavilion for fire and medical first responder services is a one year roll over agreement and will be for approximately $195,000 the first year for man power and equipment, which he said is about what the township is paying the Fire Authority.
The Climax Township Fire Department is less then two weeks away from entering a new working agreement for providing fire and medical first responder services in Wakeshma Township but the local fire department is prepared and ready according to its fire chief.
Starting April 1, the Climax Township Fire Department will be responding first to fire and medical calls in neighboring Wakeshma Township after emergency services contracts were approved over a year ago by multiple local township boards.
The Wakeshma Township Board approved leaving the South Kalamazoo County Fire Authority (SKCFA) and approved contract language for the Climax Township Board to consider March 3, 2025.
The Climax Township Board approved the one-year agreement to provide fire and medical first responder services to Wakeshma Township residents at a March 11, 2025 board meeting.
According to the 2020 Census the population for Climax Township is 2,364.
Climax Township Fire Chief Scott Smith said the fire department’s coverage area in Climax Township is 36.2 square miles.
The 2020 Census lists the population of Wakeshma Township at 1,341. Smith thought the coverage area in Wakeshma Township is also approximately 36.2 square miles.
Smith said in the beginning of the new arrangement there may be some apprehension. But he points out in the grand scheme, all firefighters are trained the same. They just will be responding from a different area. The response time may wind up being the same, if not better.
“We’re about the same distance of where they (SKCFA) were coming from when you consider Vicksburg. Vicksburg’s on the very west side of Brady Township.
We’re on the very north side of Climax Township. It’s going to be basically the same. We’ve got a straight run down 42nd Street, where they (SKCFA) had a straight run on W Avenue,” explained Smith.
The one year agreement with Climax Township for fire and medical first responder service will be in exchange for $64,778 Wakeshma Township currently receives for a 1-mill fire millage in place.
Wakeshma Township Supervisor Jason Gatlin said Wakeshma Township currently pays the SKCFA a monthly fee of nearly $5,000.
Smith said based on run numbers for 2024, the Climax Township Fire Department ran 259 calls and spent roughly $120,000 which comes out to $463 per call. He said South Kalamazoo County Fire Authority had 98 calls for service in Wakeshma Township in 2022 and 2023 and 79 calls in 2024.
According to a South County Monthly Incident Summary, 5.90% of the South Kalamazoo County Fire Authority runs were in Wakeshma Township in 2024, 7.37% in 2023 and 7.06% in 2022.
Gatlin said the township board calculates Wakeshma Township’s cost with a contract with Climax Township will be approximately $706 per run, which he said is based on the annual cost to Climax Township divided by the average number of calls for service the last three years prior to the fiscal year 2025-2026.
The Wakeshma Township supervisor adds when he learned Brady Township was pulling out of the SKCFA and would no longer be available to respond, Wakeshma Township’s location was the biggest concern, leaving the potential for his township residents to become isolated. The closest municipality to Wakeshma Township in the SKCFA would be the Vicksburg Fire Department so it made sense to approach the Climax Township Board.
Gatlin said after the first year of the agreement, the two sides will review the number of calls for service and expense to determine if the current 1-mill fire millage in Wakeshma Township that will be considered in 2027, needs to be increased slightly.
Smith said for medical calls, Climax Township will be toned out first. For structure fire calls west of 42nd Street Climax Township and Pavilion Township will be toned out. For structure fire calls east of 42nd Street Climax Township and Athens Township will be toned out. Once there is a confirmed fire, four more departments will be toned out for tanker shuttle.
Smith said if no one is available to respond to a medical call on the west side of 42nd Street, Pavilion Township will likely be toned out and Athens Township would be toned out for medical calls on the east side of 42nd Street if no one from Climax Township is available.
The Climax Township fire chief said day time hours will be the biggest challenge with fewer firefighters available.
Smith said there is one firefighter that is a member of the South Kalamazoo County Fire Authority that was added to the Climax Township Fire Department about eight months ago, two other firefighters that will be added in March, one Climax firefighter that lives close to the Wakeshma Township line and one Climax medical first responder that lives in Wakeshma Township that has been with the Climax Township Fire Department for several years.
Smith said the local fire department has been training with some of the other fire departments they could be calling for mutual aid. He said Climax Township did extrication training with Leonidas Athens, Pavilion, and Union City recently.
“I think for the most part, it will be no different then how we run Climax Township. It’s just going to be a little more drive time,” said the Climax Township fire chief.
All equipment at the Wakeshma Township Fire station is the property of the Fire Authority and will go to the Fire Authority once the agreement ends.
The Climax Township Fire Department is not obligated to locate any buildings or equipment within Wakeshma Township to provide fire and medical first responder services, however Smith said the plan is to store one Climax Township vehicle at the Wakeshma Township Fire Station.
The Brady Township Board unanimously approved to sign an agreement with Charter Township of Pavilion for fire and medical first responder services and at the same time created a withdrawal notice from the South Kalamazoo County Fire Authority at a meeting last March also.
The Charter Township of Pavilion Board unanimously approved a one-year agreement with Brady Township to provide fire and medical first responder services for Brady Township at a March 10, 2025 meeting.
Those board actions set the stage for Wakeshma and Brady Townships to leave the SKCFA effective March 31, 2026.
Brady Township, Vicksburg Village, Prairie Ronde Township, Schoolcraft Township, Schoolcraft Village, and Wakeshma Township currently make up the South Kalamazoo County Fire Authority.
Brady Township Supervisor Randy Smith said the fee for each Local Unit of Government changes each year based on a formula that uses the previous year data. He said the formula is based on Local Unit of Government population (30%), Local Unit of Government taxable value (30%), and Local Unit of Government usage (number of hours spent in each Local Unit of Government (40%).
The Brady Township Supervisor said the agreement with Charter Township of Pavilion for fire and medical first responder services is a one year roll over agreement and will be for approximately $195,000 the first year for man power and equipment, which he said is about what the township is paying the Fire Authority.
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