By April Lehmbeck
C & G Staff Writer

EASTPOINTE — The Harper Woods Fire Department has a problem with its own staffing levels, and that is causing nearby communities to take a look at if they should be in the business of supplementing Harper Woods’ shortfall with their own manpower.

For more than 30 years, Harper Woods has been part of a mutual aid agreement with nearby Macomb County cities, but those cities are dropping like flies from their end of that deal because Harper Woods simply doesn’t have the bodies to keep up their end of the bargain.

Shortly after St. Clair Shores voted to move ahead with steps to end mutual aid with Harper Woods, Eastpointe followed suit with a unanimous vote to do the same at its July 20 City Council meeting. Roseville is set to do the same in coming weeks.

“This is a resolution to give our firm the authority to begin looking into legally withdrawing,” said Richard Albright, a lawyer with the City Attorney’s Office, adding that he would be looking at the mutual aid agreement and researching it. He said the mutual aid agreement “is silent with regards to withdrawal.”

Yet, Council member Wendy Richardson wanted to make clear the reasons behind the move.

“The cause was on the city of Harper Woods’ side and their lack of staff. Is that correct?” she asked the city attorney.

Mayor Pro Tem Veronica Klinefelt asked for the attorney’s office to move quickly and get something back to the council about their options in this situation as soon as possible.

In the event that the cities do ultimately terminate the agreement, Harper Woods is looking to rely on the Grosse Pointes. Despite a department that’s already short-staffed, Harper Woods might see an 11-member fire department possibly being cut to seven due to budget issues, according to recent talk among city officials there.

Besides issues with staff, Harper Woods has been involved in a contentious fight over creating a cross-trained crew, something which the union for the firefighters adamantly opposed, filed a suit against and won their case.

Eastpointe and St. Clair Shores officials met at their city attorney’s office in late April to discuss the situation, according to a memo.

“Significant discussion took place with respect to the Harper Woods Fire Department and their abilities to meet their obligations under the Macomb County Mutual Aid Pact,” stated the memo from City Attorney Robert Ihrie. “As a result of Harper Woods’ staffing problems and certain continuing labor issues, the Harper Woods Fire Department has, on numerous occasions, been understaffed.

“It is believed that Eastpointe and St. Clair Shores have, on occasion, been acting as the default fire department for the city of Harper Woods,” he stated.