Bridgeport Township Building and Grounds Committee Meeting April 14th, 2014

The business discussed at tonight's meeting was the condition of our fire department building and the equipment that they use to perform their work.  The equipment they use to save lives and protect the lives of their personnel are all getting old, they take a lot of wear and tear, and it is expensive to replace.  That includes everything from their breathing apparatus to the fire engines.  The Fire Department building was built in 1972 and is in need of some major repairs,  in the video they do discuss the repairs needed and the various options.  We could just keep making repairs, but someday it will get to the point that the repairs are not enough, so why keep sinking money into the old building now when someday it will need to be replaced anyways.  I think the best option would be a new building; yes a new building would be very expensive but it would be worth the investment for our excellent Fire Department and for our community.  Maybe we can't get a new building right now, but we need to at least make sure they have the proper equipment right now.
I think we have a great Fire Chief in Patrick Nelson and I have always been proud of our Bridgeport Fire Department. They do so many different things:   Fire Suppression, Medical First Response, Hazardous Materials Response, Ice/Water Rescue, Technical Rescue, Public Education, Code Enforcement, Plan Review and Inspections.  I don't have the yearly total of how many calls they respond to,  but you can look at the list of weekly calls on the Bridgeport Township website http://www.bridgeportmi.org/

We expect them to be there to protect our lives and our property, and so the Bridgeport Township Government and the Bridgeport Township residents need to find a way to provide them with the funds they need to do that properly and safely.
Chief Nelson explains in excellent detail what the conditions are for the Fire Department and what their needs are.  Please take the time to watch the video and listen to his presentation.

The meeting minutes are now up on Bridgeports website.  They go into great detail of the things discussed. Building and Grounds Meeting Minutes