Firefighters from across Michigan rally for house bill vote in Lansing

Michigan firefighters call for lawmakers to vote yes on new bill

The bill was introduced all the way back in May, went to committee — and hasn't moved much.

DETROIT (FOX 2) - When firefighters are called to a scene, every second counts. But what if your fire department doesn't have enough staffing?

"And that doesn’t mean just in fire season, that includes EMS," said Matthew Sahr, president of Michigan Professional Firefighters. "When our firefighters are showing up on your darkest day, and we’re understaffed, we can’t make that difference."

That’s why firefighters from across the state are rallying at the capitol fighting for house bill 4688, which would allow for mandatory staffing levels to be a part of collective bargaining agreements.

"Whether they be in Flint Township, one person on a fire truck or we can go over to Niles where they have one ambulance. We’re not doing enough," he said.

Sahr says Michigan is understaffed across the board and that leads to bigger risks for resident safety.

"Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, they all have well over 100 firefighters per 100,000 residents. In Michigan, we have just 50 professional firefighters per 100,000 residents. To me that’s unacceptable."

The bill was introduced all the way back in May, went to committee — and hasn't moved much. These firefighters are hoping for a vote.

FOX 2 will keep you updated when something happens with the bill.