The Alpena Fire Department operates more efficiently than its counterpart in Alpena Township, which could sway township leaders considering shutting down their fire department and contracting with the city to save the township budget.
The township fire department — understaffed and forced to spend big on overtime — spent about $1 million in fiscal year 2020-21 to respond to 876 emergency calls, an average cost of $1,181 per call, according to township records.
By comparison, the city — fully staffed and trained for more advanced medical responses and lucrative ambulance transfers — spent $4.1 million in the 2019-20 fiscal year and responded to 5,729 runs in the 2020 calendar year — including 1,068 emergencies in Alpena Township, according to city records. That’s an average cost per run of $728, according to city records.
Runs for the city’s fiscal year were not immediately available.