Harper Woods is a small suburb of Detroit with a 12 man FD that also runs ambulance. The city has a history of treating its FD as the red-headed step child-I remember overnight “fire patrols” and hydrant maintenance back in the 1980s to keep the FFs from sleeping. They are now trying to go PSO and the cops are all for it so they can get the 10-20% pay increase. The FFs are against it for many reasons, not least of which is the PSO depts in the area are a joke when it comes to fires or EMS. The FD won a lawsuit preventing PSO because the city charter requires separate depts, and to change it requires a vote of the people. The city has turned up the pressure on the FD to try to make them quit, and at least one FF has jumped ship to PD.

The second incident is related to a fire. The IC was accused of refusing to work with PSO depts to the detriment of the citizens. The FD requested mutual aid from neighboring FDs, not PSO depts that may have been closer. Even if the PSO dept were be closer by distance, they can’t put a crew together and send a rig until the PSOs come in from patrol. The FDs who responded did so immediately with manned engine cos and knocked down the fire quickly.