Oxford’s fire department is applying for a three-year federal grant that, if awarded, would fund the addition of full-time personnel to deal with the increasing number of times when multiple medical calls are leaving the township shorthanded.

The department is seeking a grant from the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) program, which is administered through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), according to Fire Chief Pete Scholz. The amount being sought has not yet been determined.

If received, the money would be used to hire six more full-time firefighters/paramedics.

Each of the department’s three shifts would then be assigned an additional two firefighters.

Currently, each shift is covered by four full-time firefighters.

A shift lasts 24 hours.

During the first two years of the SAFER grant, the federal government would pay 75 percent of the total cost for the six firefighters, which includes wages, health insurance, retirement, uniforms, etc., according to Scholz. In the third year, the grant would cover 35 percent of the cost.

After that, it would be up to the fire department to fund 100 percent of the new positions.

Scholz is hoping to do that by seeking a millage increase when the existing fire tax expires with the December 2020 township collection.

Originally approved at 3.5 mills in November 2014, the fire tax has been gradually reduced to 3.3759 mills due to rollbacks mandated by Michigan’s Headlee Amendment.

One mill is equal to $1 for every $1,000 of a property’s taxable value.

If for some reason, Oxford was unable to continue funding any or all of the six positions following the grant’s expiration, Scholz assured the department would in no way be obligated to keep them on the payroll.

“They don’t care whether you hire them or lay them off or what happens at that point,” Scholz said.

The increasing number of medical calls handled by the fire department was cited by Scholz as the reason for needing more full-time personnel.

Last year, the department received 2,048 calls. Of those, 1,670 were medical calls, which was an increase of 122 from the previous year.

Every medical call has the potential to take two or three firefighters out of the community for an extended period of time. One firefighter is needed to drive the ambulance to the hospital while at least one firefighter rides in the back, treating the patient.

“If it’s a serious enough call, then sometimes we’ll put an extra person in the back,” Scholz said. “So now, you’re taking three people out of the township.”

“I would say probably 75 percent of the time, it’s just one (firefighter) in the back,” the chief noted.

The department tries to use paid-on-call members as ambulance drivers, but there’s not always enough of them available during daytime hours. “We have a couple that are around during the daytime, but it’s not every single day,” Scholz said.

If no paid-on-call members are on hand to drive, then either another full-time firefighter/paramedic, the assistant chief or the lieutenant fire inspector has to man the wheel.

Medical calls have become even more challenging for the department, according to the chief, because they’re often receiving two or three of them, “all at the exact same time.”

“I’d say (in) an average week, (that happens) probably four days out of the week,” Scholz said.

“It always goes in spurts,” he added. “We’ll sit here for half the day and not run a single call and all (of a) sudden, bam!”

On March 12, Scholz said the department had three simultaneous medical calls and one of the full-timers was off for the day, so the shift was “down to three” firefighters.

As a result, Brandon firefighters were called to provide mutual aid by covering Oxford’s station, but “before they even got on the road, we hit for another medical call,” which Brandon had to cover, the chief said. Oxford then had to call the Addison Township Fire Department to cover its station.

“It happens like that quite often,” Scholz said.

Over the last six months, there have been times when neighboring departments, like Orion and Addison, have asked Oxford to provide mutual aid and Scholz has had to tell them, “I’m sorry I’ve got nobody to send you.”

“I’m not going to strip our community totally to go next door,” he explained.

Prior to that, Scholz noted that during his “entire career” in the fire service, which began in 1976, Oxford “never had to” turn down another department’s request for assistance.

“It’s starting to happen now,” he said.

Scholz said he doesn’t want Oxford to become a “burden” to surrounding departments because “we can’t reciprocate.”

“Mutual aid is supposed to be, ‘I help you. You help me,’” he said.

Eighty-four of the department’s calls last year were mutual aid requests from neighboring fire departments, including Addison, Brandon, Orion, Auburn Hills, Independence, Metamora, Oakland, Rochester Hills and Springfield.

The chief wished to make it clear that by looking to add six full-timers, he’s in no way attempting to eliminate paid-on-call members, of which there are currently 28.

“I still want to be able to try to count on the paid-on-call (firefighters) being here. I’m still using that as part of my plan,” he said. “They’re just as vital.”

Given the SAFER grant program will probably receive thousands of applications from across the nation, there’s no guarantee Oxford will be selected.

“It’s very, very competitive,” Scholz said.

Since 2009, the department has received five grants from FEMA, totalling $971,036, not including local matching funds. The money has been used to purchase equipment and add personnel.