Skip to Main
News

Emmet County Votes to Cut Jaws of Life Funding for Three Fire Departments

Every year, Emmet county gives the fire departments in their area $4,500 to purchase, repair and train using their jaws of life tools. Each department is expected to submit a report by Dec. 31 on how they spent the money, and most do, but those in Mackinaw City, Alanson, and Harbor Springs failed to do so by the deadline.

The county decided Thursday cut next year’s allowance in half. “I don’t think we’re being unfair here,” said Mike Reaves, Emmet County administrator. “These are minimal standards and rules that we have to explain to our auditors where that money goes. Who used it and what was it purposed for, and do we have receipts for what you gave the county money for?”

The $4,500 is strictly for the jaws of life, but Reaves says some departments used it for other things. “One of the three departments didn’t even submit enough expenses to get half the amount, so they got the full amount, but only submitted expenses for less than half,” said Reaves. “So what did they use the rest of money with I have no idea.”

Chief of the Alanson Littlefield Fire Department Scott Lauer says they feel blindsided by the decrease in funding. They failed to submit their report on time, and he said it was partly because of COVID-19. “In the middle of this pandemic we closed our fire hall for everything other than runs,” he said. “We had no meetings going on. The inner activity was way down. It is what’s going on in the nation right now.

Emmet County commissioners voted five to two to reduce next year’s jaws of life funding by half.

Local Trending News