- Video shows both fire departments at the City of Jackson's Fire Station, downtown.
- According a press release from the City of Jackson, Jackson firefighters responded to 414 calls for service in Summit Township.
- Summit firefighters responded to 430 calls for service in the City of Jackson.
- The average emergency response time from a Jackson crew to Summit was 4 minutes, while Summit's average response to Jackson was 3.5 minutes.
- Jackson fire crews were able to reach the emergencies in an average of 2.5 minutes, while it took Summit firefighters an average of 6.1 minutes to arrive.
For firefighters, there's no time to waste. Deputy Chief of Summit Township Fire Department, James Warner, explains, "Nowadays, a fire doubles in size every minute, so every minute counts." City of Jackson and Summit Township Fire Departments saw that if they worked together, they could save that precious time, as a team. Joe Carpenter, Lieutenant at City of Jackson Fire Department, says, "Firefighting really, at the core of what we do, is a team sport."
In 2023, the two departments launched a collaboration that allows each department to respond to emergencies outside their township or city limits. "It just really makes the services we provide that much more streamlined," says Carpenter.
According to the City of Jackson, one year into the partnership:
- Jackson firefighters responded to 414 calls for service in Summit Township.
- Summit firefighters responded to 430 calls for service in the City of Jackson.
Warner gives an example, "On the east side of Summit Township, where Station 2 is located, we're saving three or four minutes per call, so that's huge for patient outcomes and emergencies."
Not only have the departments been saving valuable minutes, but thousands of dollars in fuel costs. City of Jackson saved about $5,000; Summit saved about $6,000, while also further reducing maintenance costs.
Both departments say they plan to allocate those saving toward new equipment and technology. City of Jackson, Assistant Fire Chief, Joe Smith, says, "Firetrucks are very expensive, so putting that money away for seven to ten years when we need to buy a million dollar firetruck, you can start building that rainy day fund." Dollars and minutes that could lead to a safer neighborhood.
Summit Fire Captain, Aaron Osburn, shares, "I think it's a great time to be a firefighter in this community. I was born and raised here. I think there's been a lot for work for consolidating both Summit Township and the City of Jackson." Smith adds, "It's going to save property. It's going to potentially save lives. It's a no-brainer. Citizens of the City of Jackson deserve it, along with residents of Summit Township."
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