Fw: Push for Support

[John Helge]

MANISTEE DEMOCRATS:

The email below is a call for help in addressing an important issue facing the City of Manistee professional fire department.  The 2027 fiscal year budget is currently being considered by the City Council and will be voted on next Tuesday May 5. 

This budget will eliminate a full-time position on the Manistee Fire Department.  This will make it more difficult for the department to consistently and effectively respond to ambulance calls in the city when a firefighter is on vacation or not able to work.  

Please read the email below and respond as requested with an email to our City Council members.  

John M. Helge

johnm...@gmail.com

616-915-2403

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From: Caitlin Snay <caitl...@gmail.com>
Sent: Thursday, April 30, 2026 7:15 PM
To: Johnm...@gmail.com <Johnm...@gmail.com>
Subject: Push for Support

Good Evening Mr. Helge,

I first wanted to say thank you. Thank you for taking the time to stand up and speak at the City Council Meeting on April 21st against the elimination of one full time firefighter/paramedic. 

I too am very concerned about the proposed budgets recommendation to eliminate this position. I am you’ll consider sharing a drafted letter (at the bottom of this email) to The Manistee Dems Group and any other local residents you believe would share. I am hoping we can gather as a strongly focused community and flood the Mayor and Council Members email inboxes with our concerns. 

I would greatly appreciate your support in this measure to ensure that our mayor and council members HEAR our concerns and do not allow this to be finalized in the budget. 

If citizens choose to send this email they may  copy and paste it, sign it with their name and address then send to the email list of council members. They are also welcome to edit it however they see fit. 

If you’d like to discuss this further directly, please feel welcome to give me a call at the number below. 

Sincerely,

Caitlin Snay

109 Cedar Street

231.398.8101

Council and Mayor Email Addresses:

jgrab...@manisteemi.gov, jsul...@manisteemi.gov, jrad...@manisteemi.gov, kk...@manisteemi.gov, lro...@manisteemi.gov, ela...@manisteemi.gov, wsm...@manisteemi.gov

Dear Madam Mayor and Members of the City Council,

As a concerned resident, I am writing in response to the proposed elimination of one full-time firefighter/paramedic position in the 2026–2027 budget. I respectfully ask for your careful reconsideration of this measure.

Public safety is among the most fundamental responsibilities of local government. Even a single reduction in emergency response staffing can have meaningful consequences—potentially increasing response times, placing added strain on remaining personnel, and elevating risks for both residents and first responders.

I urge you to seek broad input as you evaluate this proposal. In particular, consulting experienced members of our community—such as retired Chief Mark Cameron, retired Firefighter/Paramedic Fred LaPoint, and retired Captain/Firefighter/Paramedic Douglas Dominick—could provide valuable perspective grounded in real-world service.

Additionally, I encourage you to closely examine the supporting white papers to determine whether the proposed changes fully address the underlying challenges or, unintentionally, introduce new risks or liabilities for our city.

Firefighter/paramedics play a vital role in emergency response, especially in medical situations where minutes can make a critical difference. Maintaining adequate staffing levels helps ensure timely, effective, and potentially life-saving care. This is not an area where the margin for error is large.

For these reasons, I respectfully ask that you prioritize maintaining full staffing and carefully weigh the potential impacts of this decision on the safety and well-being of our community.

I do not support the elimination of a full time firefighter/paramedic from the Manistee City Fire Department, and I urge you not to support it either. 

Sincerely,