Plymouth Fire Department Adjusts After Communities Cut Back on Mutual Aid Calls

The Plymouth Township Fire Department recently implemented new protocol that Chief Mark Wendel says maximizes resources and limits unnecessary requests for mutual aid.

The change comes after Canton Township, Northville Township and Livonia said they would no longer respond to mutual aid medical calls from Plymouth Township when the township's private ambulance firm, Huron Valley Ambulance (HVA), was already responding. 

The letter explaining the change in mutual aid was signed by Canton Public Safety Director Todd Mutchler, Northville Township Public Safety Director John Werth and City of Livonia Fire Chief Shadd Whitehead. It was delivered to Wendel earlier this month. 

Northville Township Fire Chief Rich Marinucci said that all three communities, Northville Township, Canton and Livionia, provide full paramedic emergency medical service to their residents. 

"We would respond to a medical emergency and find there was already a private ambulance company on the scene, taking care of the patient, sometimes already in the back of the ambulance," he said. "So they didn't need us. We were sending units and they were basically saying, 'How you doing?' then turning around and coming back. It wasn't the best use of our resources. We're willing to go if they need our service, but if they're already sending someone to handle the emergency, they don't need to call us." 

Mutchler said that while he firmly believes in and wholeheartedly supports mutual aid, these type of calls were taking resources away from their own communities.

Plymouth Township Fire provides emergency medical services, but the township also has contracted with HVA. 

"The reality of it is, we respond as the primary agency and the primary agency has responsibility to the residents within our borders," Wendel said. "Because the administration here has chosen to have a private ambulance service do our transports for us, that's why they respond. It's trying to keep our people within the township as much as possible, so we're not transporting to hospitals." 

The new protocol will take into account who is closer to the emergency location. If HVA is in the community, or close, Plymouth Township will not request mutual aid. Wendel said the township would be relying more heavily on HVA to pick up on runs when his on-duty staff cannot make it. 

When HVA is not in the community or nearby, the township will cancel the call to them and request mutual aid.  

"I think the result meets everybody's needs," Wendel said. "I totally understood the other three communities' concerns of responding along with the private ambulance company. It's all about using the resources we have available."