Jessica Mathews / news@whmi.com


A groundbreaking event was held Wednesday morning to mark the start of construction of a new fire headquarters building in Green Oak Township.

Township officials, firefighters, and other stakeholders attended the event at the site of the new station. It’s being built on property off Whitmore Lake Road, near Silver Lake Road, somewhat behind where the current fire station sits. The new station will be located next to the new police headquarters building on the site to create a public safety complex.

Fire Chief Kevin Gentry told WHMI the project that voters approved last year will replace the current fire station built 30 years ago when they had one full time employee with a new fire headquarters building that will allow them to house their nine full-time employees and 40 paid on-call firefighters for training and other events as well.

Gentry said the bonds that voters approved were priced out twice and the township was able to get very good rates. He said they are also tax-free bonds, which enabled the township to recoup some additional dollars to replace a truck that had its frame break and transmission go out, which has since been retired.

Gentry said the real goal of the station - besides improving training and having a training room large enough to actually house the fire department - is to provide 24-7 coverage in the center of the township. Currently the existing station does not have sleeping quarters, so the 24-7 on-duty crew is located on the east side of the township. Gentry said when the addition and new station are complete, it will allow them to put an on-duty crew in the center of the township - dramatically cutting response times.

Clerk Michael Sedlak retired from the Fire Department two years ago. He said one of the reasons he ran for this last board term was to make sure they got the new station built. Sedlak said citizens really stepped up for $9 (m) million to pay for the station and a new ladder truck and they can’t thank them enough. There is a definite need as growth in the community is only projected to continue.

Sedlak added that according to SEMCOG estimates by 2030, Green Oak will be the largest township in Livingston County, which is also the fastest growing county in Southeast Michigan. He said they’ve already moved to full time and it is in works to add additional full-time firefighters – which he said the board fully supports as they will continue to make service to citizens their priority.

Board Trustee Dan Rainko served on the committee for the new station. He said he thinks it’s important that the community realizes the station on Old US-23 is not a 24-hour service station. He said many people are surprised to find out it’s not and just naturally thought it was open and staffed all the time. Rainko said the new station will allow for faster response times depending when and where an incident occurs but added it will also be an improvement considering all of the accidents on US-23.

Gentry said the project will begin this month and hopefully conclude around May 15th with occupancy just in time for the road in front of Station 81 to be demolished by the Livingston County Road Commission for a roundabout. He noted the old Station 81 will be demolished, as it’s in the way of the project for the Road Commission that will construct the roundabouts at Silver Lake and Whitmore Lake Roads. The old station will be removed to create an access drive from the new fire and police stations to Whitmore Lake Road.