The Superior Township Volunteer Fire Department was dismantled during a special township meeting Friday at noon when Supervisor Richard Phillips, Treasurer Susanne Kniskern, Clerk Mary Jo Harris, and Trustee John Waisanen voted 4 - 0 to dismiss Fire Chief Amy Jere.
Several fire department members abruptly walked out of township hall following the vote. Cody Shinault laid some of his fire equipment on the table in front of board members prior to his departure.
"It seems like the township board wants to be in complete control of everything," said Ron Mills, Superior Township firefighter of approximately 57 years.
Mills joined the department back in 1966. Today, he joined his brothers and sisters in uniform to hang his gear for the last time.
Trustee Paul Fox has served as a township board member for approximately 11 years, and active fire department member for nearly 30 years. Although Fox did not attend the special meeting this afternoon, he intends to stand by Jere and fire crew.
"It is a dirty shame," Fox said. "Amy was one of the best things that has ever happened to Superior Township. She is a real go-getter. Now, we have lost every fire fighter we've got."
Fox added that he would resign from both the fire department and board by letter later this evening.
Concerns brought to light by the Superior Township board members at the meeting included a check issued on Feb. 9, 2023 in the amount of $4,126.02, and alleged fire department participation from civilian Michael Greene.
"The check was not approved prior to it coming to my desk to be signed," Kniskern said. "I did not sign it. I noticed it and thought, 'I don't remember this. I don't remember that this was approved.' "
Kniskern followed up with a phone call to Jere, who reportedly confirmed that the money in question had not been approved by the board.
But Jere said her crew was in dire need of up-to-date equipment. She referenced the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration (MIOSHA) in stating that Superior Township is required to supply its department with adequate PPE.
"We should not have PPE that is 26-years-old," Jere said. "Our helmets are 26-years-old. I am in violation of MIOSHA law by knowingly allowing my firefighters to be in this gear. My crew, we are a family. I am the first female fire chief in the Eastern Upper Peninsula. We work diligently to train our personnel to work with other agencies. We just put on an Electric Vehicle (EV) training, sponsored by Smithers Test Winter Track. We had 54 attendants from the entire Eastern Upper Peninsula... biggest training ever in the EUP. This is the thanks this board gives just because I will not back down."
The issue of Greene's participation in the fire department was discussed by the board next. Volunteer fire department applications for Jeremy Spencer and Greene were reportedly given to all current township board members back in May.
"Each board member has to do their own diligence," Kniskern said to explain the township hiring process. "Each board member can nominate whoever they decide to move forward."
Kniskern conducted a criminal background check for Spencer and asked him to come in for an interview. She said he had asked about attending fire department meetings with the rest of the crew. At which point, he was advised to wait until a township meeting on June 27 for board approval.
Permission to attend departmental trainings had not been authorized for the two candidates.
It was around that same time when Kniskern had sought out a quote for camera installation throughout the fire department. She asked Waisanen to look around the fire hall to see where cameras should be placed.
"We have security cameras in this building," Kniskern said. "I am on camera all of the time. Everybody who works inside of this building is all on camera. Our fire hall has tens of thousands of dollars worth of equipment."
Upon walking into the building, Waisanen saw that Greene had been "all set up." He showed the pictures he had taken of Greene's locker and equipment to the fire fighters and residents present at the meeting.
"Ultimately, all personnel has to be board approved," Kniskern said, citing liability issues. "We have an accidental death benefit that we give our fire fighters. We wouldn't want anyone who has not technically, officially been placed on the fire department to be out doing official business of any capacity, whether it is just going inside of the fire hall. I do not know what has happened in the past. I have only been here for three years."
Spencer was approved by the board as part of today's meeting. Greene was not.
Former chief Frank Toms, who retired in 2016, attended the meeting in support of Jere.
"Amy is following the same practices we have been following for years," Toms said. "We never had to do any of this before under Mr. Phillips, who was the township supervisor. When we found someone qualified to be on the department, we would put them on to make sure they fit in with our crew. Then, we would take it to the board and they would OK it. That was under Rich."
"Mr. Spencer was asked, in advance, if he wanted to be chief," Jere said. "I knew this day was coming...
"In my five years of being the fire chief, I got a $5,000 TransCanada grant," she said. "My second year I got a $25,000 TransCanada grant for Superior Township. I got a $5,000 DNR grant. I had a $50,000 truck donated by the US Forrest Service to fight wild land fires. I had a local business owner do $12,000 custom paint job for Superior Township. This year, alone, I got a $15,000 TransCanada; I got a $5,000 DNR grant; I got almost $9,000 from Sault Tribe; and Bay Mills Indian Community... when our township voted for only four of 14 members to have turnout gear... they stepped up and gave us a $30,000 check to put our fire personnel in the proper PPE equipment. We should not have to go through this."
According to Jere, Superior Township has 24 hours to notify the state that there is no more fire department.
"Once that happens, they either have to contract with Bay Mills Indian Community, Bay Mills Fire Department, Dafter Fire Department, or Sault Township," she said.
Jere has proactively reached out to notify surrounding departments that the 1,047 tax payers on 104 square miles of Superior Township land is presently without a fire department.
Information pertianing to Superior Township Board meetings can be found here.
