Skerritt Reports - No more LCC Agreement

At the May 2005 Watertown Board meeting, LGRFA Board Secretary Al Skerritt reported LGRFA would not be renewing agreements with Lansing Community College which provides trained fire fighting personnel to the Township at no charge. Al proudly announced, LGRFA will be participating with the GM Jobs Bank which provides untrained personnel that can sit around the station and answer telephone calls, cut grass etc..

The LCC Agreement which was drafted in 2003 when the department opened, provides on-the-job training at the LGRFA fire station for specially selected LCC Fire Academy Candidates thereby providing up to 2 firefighters (in the station) available to respond to fire emergencies. While in this exclusive program, Academy Candidates are required to perform shifts as other full-time fire fighters are required. This effectively doubles the fight fighters -- at no cost to the Townships. By not participating in this program, Watertown is giving up access to free highly needed able bodies who can respond to emergencies. Because this agreement was pioneered cooperatively between LCC and LGRFA it remained exclusive between the two. There were several other Fire Departments in the area waiting to participate � once LGFRA terminates another fire department will be selected.

Al Skerritt also forgot the presence of training operations for a declining pool of trained emergency response personnel gives LGRFA advantages when applying for FEMA Grants. Grants are awarded based upon merit. A functioning and forward thinking regional training facility gets more attention from grant issuing boards than other departments!

The present Board is attempting to simplify Township operations to make them easier to manage from a golf course, Palm Springs, Arizona or an office somewhere in East Lansing or Okemos. Or, they are systematically disabling the fire department Watertown taxpayers spent 1.2 million dollars building (without increasing taxes or mileages) � so they can look back on a failure and say �I told you it wouldn�t work�!

Thu May 19, 2005 6:11 am MST by cpratt | Email Article |

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Comments

Al Skerrit is a joke.

Fri Jul 15, 2005 7:41 pm MST by Anonymous

I don't believe Mr. Maas has resigned from the Board of Trustee's. I have been somewhat restrained in my comments about him. If you know him to be a decent person -- please call him and ask him why he would support Al Skerritt, Deb Adams, Jean Husby and Jennifer Tubbs-Simms. Could it be the Planning Commission connection? Jean Husby � Landscape Architect, Deborah Adams - past Planning Commissioner, Al Skerritt - Board Rep., Planning Commission, Jennifer Tubbs-Sims - Past Planning Administrator, John Maas -- Planning Commisioner?

Tue Jun 14, 2005 1:06 pm MST by Chris Pratt

Al, if you would learn to treat your neighbors with respect then maybe you would get along with other communities. You,Jean and Jennifer should resign as did John Maas who is actually a decent human and is deserving of our respect.

Sun Jun 5, 2005 8:31 am MST by Anonymous

Al Skeritt should resign his post and not take another dime of the taxpayer's money. Remember the recall Al? Sure looks like a good idea in 2005, too.

Thu May 26, 2005 7:11 pm MST by Anonymous

WHY DOESN'T AL SKERRITT WANT A FIRE DEPARTMENT HERE IN WATERTOWN? WHY DOESN'T SOMEONE TAKE HIM AOFF THE LOOKING GLASS FIRE AUTHORITY BOARD SO HE DOESN'T HAVE A CHANCE TO OFFEND THE PEOPLE WE NEED TO EDUCATE AND PROTECT OUR COMMUNITY. HAVE YOU SEEN HOW HE TREATS THE PEOPLE FROM EAGLE TOWNSHIP? NOT TO MENTION HOW HE TREATS THE RESIDENTS. I WONDER IF THE PUBLIC REALIZES THAT HE ONLY WON HIS SEAT BY A COUPLE OF VOTES? IT SEEMS THAT AL, HUSBY AND SIMS WOULD HAVE YOU BELIEVE THAT EVERYONE ELSE HAS THEIR HAND IN THE MONEY JAR WHEN TRULY, IT IS THEY WHO ARE THE GUILTY ONES. YOU'VE HEARD THE BEST DEFENCE IS OFFENCE? WELL, I ASK YOU, WHOM DO YOU FIND THE MOST OFFENSIVE? THE TAXPAYER'S MONEY IS BETTER SPENT ON A FIRE DEPARTMENT THAN A CUSHY OFFICE FOR ELECTED OFFICIALS WHO DON'T DESERVE ANY BETTER THAN AN OUTHOUSE!

Wed May 25, 2005 11:48 am MST by Anonymous

Palm Springs is where Al Skerritt owns a home and plans to move, Arizona is where Ed lived in the winter while we were paying him to be our Supervisor.

Thu May 19, 2005 11:18 am MST by Chris Pratt

When I read that Watertown was building its own fire department I thought we finally were ending years of controversy surounding Grand Ledge. What a relief. I'm not interested in paying higher taxes, but I think the fire department should be high in theTownship list of priorities. Does this mean I'll be reading about a new agreement with some other city that will close the fire house?

Thu May 19, 2005 10:49 am MST by Anonymous

This is an outrage! How can Mr. Skerit possibly think that refusing our youth an opportunity to serve the community is not worth the work? What's this about Palm SPrings and Arizona?

Thu May 19, 2005 10:45 am MST by Burning Up

Skerritt Reports - No more LCC Agreement

Skerritt Reports - No more LCC Agreement

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