TRAVERSE CITY -- Long Lake Township's fire department's problems extend beyond the actions of Addison Wheelock Jr., a longtime volunteer who also is a county commissioner.
Long Lake's Station 10 counts about 15 volunteers, but only a handful regularly show up for training, Grand Traverse Rural Fire Department officials report. The township's lack of participation in training sessions is common knowledge among the rural agency's other fire departments.
Long Lake's poor reputation among peer fire departments appears to be mounting.
"It is very disheartening when neighboring fire departments have limited their response to Long Lake Township and are in the process of eliminating any response with their personnel or equipment as a result of tactical incompetence and a lack of leadership at Station 10," Rural Fire Capt. Ron Taylor wrote in a letter to rural Chief Bill Sedlacek.
And Taylor said some Long Lake volunteers don't respond to calls if they learn Wheelock is among those heading out to a scene.
Wheelock said he does not believe Taylor has documentation to support his allegations.
"I think there's a staffing issue in every volunteer organization," Wheelock said. "I believe we're currently still getting the job done."
Firefighters at Station 10 would not comment on the record for this story, and said they feared retaliation if they made public statements about Wheelock and other Long Lake fire matters.
Long Lake Township Battalion Chief John Brown acknowledged concerns within the ranks.
"Personally, I've taken on quite a task here at Station 10 and yes, I know we have issues," Brown wrote in a letter explaining problems at an Oct. 23, 2009, fire at Wheelock & Sons Welding. "The reality is, do I dismiss a 35-year member who, besides devoting his life to public service, is about the only person willing to maintain (emergency medical technician) status and make those daytime calls," Brown wrote.
Brown also wrote that Long Lake Township needs to begin staffing its fire station because dangling the "carrot of a paycheck" would allow them to require its volunteers to follow rules and attend training.
Long Lake Township doesn't pay to staff its station, unlike every other township that borders it and despite a millage that raised $395,000 in 2009 for police and fire protection. The current fire department budget for the fiscal year ending June 30 is $326,850, including $12,500 from the general fund to maintain the station.
The township tried in recent years to staff the station for a couple of hours each day, but that move appeared to have little positive effect, said township Supervisor Karen Rosa.
"We're not that busy and I have to be sure we can afford to pay," she said. "We are going to be talking about manning it."
