News

The joint community effort supports expanded fire department space at the new Douglas City Hall

Saugatuck Township, in a joint effort with the City of Saugatuck and the City of Douglas, is in the process of issuing a $5 million capital improvement bond to support the Saugatuck Township Fire District’s expansion to meet the needs of the area’s future residential growth.

The expansion includes 9,200 square feet of separate office space and living/sleeping quarters for fire personnel, as well a six-bay, drive-through garage to house emergency vehicles and equipment, within the new Douglas City Hall building being built on Wiley Road.

“The emergency service’s current facilities are insufficient to the area’s needs and inadequate to the Saugatuck Township’s Fire District’s mission,” said Fire Chief/Fire Marshal Greg Janik. “Our current facilities cannot properly house the District’s fire and emergency medical-response vehicles and equipment and support overnight housing for emergency-service personnel necessary to maintain 24/7/365 service to the area population. By expanding and improving our facilities, we’re ensuring that our personnel and equipment are ready to respond quickly and effectively when our residents and visitors need us the most.”

The Fire District has 30 employees, including 12 full-time firefighters and 18 part-time firefighters who work out of an 8,980-square-foot facility on Blue Star Highway – more than a mile north of the Kalamazoo River, which presents response-time challenges for the southern half of the Township and south side of Douglas. The new facility, located at 415 Wiley Road, would be more centrally located to better serve and respond to residents and visitors in all three communities.

“The Saugatuck Township Fire District is the backbone of community safety within the communities of Saugatuck Township, the City of Saugatuck and the City of Douglas,” said Saugatuck Township Manager Daniel DeFranco. “This bond represents a strong, shared commitment between all three communities to meet the growing public safety needs of our area, and give our Fire District personnel the modern space, equipment, and resources they need to do their jobs safely and effectively.”

On Oct. 8, the Saugatuck Township Board approved a resolution to issue the bond from the Treasury Department, and enter a reimbursement and lease agreement with the Fire District. Based on the agreement, the Township will lease the financed facilities to the Fire District in return for the Fire District agreeing to pay all debt service payments on the bonds, all costs of issuance of the bonds, and all administrative costs related to the bonds.

“At Saugatuck Township, we are doing our part to strengthen our ability to protect the people who live, work, and visit our growing communities,” said DeFranco. “This expansion will ensure that the Saugatuck Township Fire District can serve all of our communities equally for decades to come, with the space and infrastructure to meet evolving needs.”