The Oakland County Sheriff’s Department needs a facility to work on its vehicles, while the Orion Township Fire Department is getting ready to open a new station.
OCSD
Oakland County Sheriff’s Department Lieutenant Bruce Naile, commander of the Orion Substation, has worked in Orion since 1992.
Although growth in the area has increased some of the types of crimes they see, he hasn’t increased officers at the substation in three years.
‘Our drunken driving arrests are up, but that’s because we have more on the midnight shift specifically targeting drunk drivers,? he said. ‘We’ve had no fatal accidents in the last year, and no murders in the township since 1999.?
Naile said with the area’s growth, the OCSD has seen an increase in identity theft, but that is also something of a national trend.
‘It’s not just us,? he said. ‘We are getting more computer crimes and embezzlement.?
Naile said in the coming year, the Orion Substation in the township hall will have to add another investigator to keep up with business-related crime.
‘We have high visibility in the township with a lot of patrols out on the road,? he said, adding that the motorcycle unit that was started in 1999 has also been highly visible.
The OCSD operates in Orion Township on a fixed millage. It has been able to make adjustments for the growth without having to ask the taxpayers for more money.
However, it’s starting to outgrow the area on Joslyn Road especially when it comes to vehicle storage and maintenance.
‘There is talk of combining substations with Independence Township,? said Naile. ‘We have adequate space for now for our staff. If we increase space, we’ll need additional staff.?
According to Naile, a more likely option would be to expand the current facility or move to a new building. Orion trustees have in the past explored the possibility of building a public safety headquarters for police and fire on township property on Joslyn Road.
Naile said the last proposal was to build a separate building for the OCSD in the same complex as the fire station on either township or county property.
‘I think we’ll probably be able to build something with the funds we have now at no additional burden to the taxpayers,? Naile said. ‘We work closely with the township board and we manage the millage very effectively.
‘We could work either way,? he said of the building options.
Something that has been more cost effective than having to hire more personnel to keep up with the growing area is the creation of an overtime fund for the OCSD.
‘So I don’t have to have people work when they aren’t needed,? said Naile. ‘It’s been effective so far.?
Naile said that with the computer equipment that the OCSD operates in its vehicles, it needs some type of garage at the substation to be able to work on that type of thing properly.
‘Right now we do repairs outside,? he said. ‘It’s inadequate.?
One of the biggest obstacles to the OCSD from growth has been increased traffic and not just from the growth in Orion.
‘We are also getting it from Oxford and Lapeer, areas north,? he said.
Naile said only two accidents have so far been reported at the new roundabout at Baldwin, Coats and Indianwood. A flashing red light will be installed this summer at the four-way stop at Indianwood and Joslyn.
With about 40,000 people now living in Orion Township, Naile said the problem of ID theft, even from other parts of the country, has affected residents here.
‘We have people here who are victims of ID theft from other countries even,? he said.
Orion Township
Fire Department
Orion Township Fire Chief Jeff Key has been chief of the department since 1982 when Orion had just two fire stations. The township now operates three, and is opening a fourth on Baldwin Road.
Key said the department has done a good job of keeping up with the influx of residents and businesses in the area.
‘We have probably the same number of people we had since I started,? he said of the paid on-call firefighters that staff the department.
‘It’s a struggle to keep enough of them though,? Key said. ‘There’s a lot more training required now…two years once they sign on.?
Right now the department has 57 paid on-call firefighters. Key said they can ‘always use more.?
‘It fluctuates so much,? he said. ‘You can’t ever get comfortable with it.?
Since he came on board in the 80s, Key said the department’s role in the community has changed as they are now responsible for more things.
‘There’s so much more training that’s required,? he said. ‘We deal with hazardous materials…And the medical side has required more training.?
Basic EMT classes are now 300 plus hours as well as additional hazardous material training.
‘We also use defibrillators and other devices now that require training,? said Key.
Since the department responded to 1,297 calls in 1995, the number has gradually increased, after dropping to 1,252 calls in 1996.
The Orion Township Fire Department in 2003 responded to 2,010; the highest number in 10 years, and to 1,745 calls last year.
‘Every year we get more and more calls,? Key said. ‘It’s difficult for some of these fellows (who are paid on-call firefighters) to maintain.?
Key said increased traffic has also had an impact.
‘We are fighting more traffic to get to a scene,? he said. ‘There are more people and more subdivisions.?
Key said once the new station opens, the department will move its business office there from the station on Silverbell Road where it’s currently housed.
‘The stations that protect that area will continue, along with the new station,? he said. ‘It will take us two to three years before the new one can stand alone.?
Key said ‘in a perfect world,? there would be 25 firefighters per station.
‘That’s been difficult to maintain at any station,? he added. ‘Station 1 in the village tends to have more people, probably because it’s an older area with more affordable housing there.?
With the area the Silverbell station is in, Key said lots of homes are ?$300,000 to $400,000.?
‘Those people don’t always have the time (to volunteer),? he said.
With the new station, the township will have a fire station in each quadrant.
‘The goal is to build something with offices and a training area where the DPW is on Joslyn,? Key said. ‘Our current office wasn’t meant for this…we’ll move our operations temporarily to the new station.
‘That will provide a presence during the daytime,? he said.
Before a headquarters is built on Joslyn, Key said Station 3 on Gregory Road is in need of repair.
‘We need to rebuild Station 3,? he said. ‘It’s a metal building that was built in ?71 or ?72. After we do that, we’ll be able to focus on a central station.?
According to Key, it will be several years in the future before any kind of headquarters can be built.
‘Right now we operate on one mill,? he said. ‘Growth generates more funds, but department costs are going up.?
The new Baldwin station will cost $1.3 million.
‘We’ve been able to pay without asking for more,? said Key. ‘The problem will be the money for replacing Station 3.?
The next big issue facing the department and the community will be what to do about ambulance service.
‘The issue of advanced life support,? Key said. ‘In the past, the community has relied upon private ambulance companies. Most of the fire departments around here have taken over that job.
‘They’ve passed millages to support it,? he said.
Key said many private ambulance companies have been cutting back service in the area.
‘Oxford has a millage in May; they could do it themselves within the year,? he said. ‘That will force us into ‘What do we do???
If the department were to take over the service, full-time staff would have to be hired.
‘It would be almost impossible to do with part-time people,? he said. ‘We’ll need more money for that.?
Since the fire millage was established in 1960, Key said the department has always ‘tried to live within that.?
‘Do people understand how we provide service, and what we provide?? he asked.
‘Is it meeting their expectations? They will have to decide.?