MERIDIAN TWP., Mich. (WLNS) — A local firefighters’ union has made a new public plea for help. Meridian Township Professional Firefighters Local 1600 recently shared a post to social media explaining that an increase in calls for service is leaving the fire department “depleted.”
The union says the department has seen a large increase in demand for services, but the current staffing model isn’t holding up. They say it was created more than 25 years ago and they need more support.
The union says the current staffing model was created when the department’s annual call volume was under 3,000, but in 2025, union president Chuck Malesko says the department had nearly 7,000 calls.
Malesko told 6 News his biggest concern is safety. He says a standard house fire requires 14 firefighters, and even if all of his crew came into work, they wouldn’t meet that number. Malesko says an addition of six to twelve positions is what’s needed.
6 News reached out to township supervisor Scott Hendrickson for a response to the union’s concerns. He provided 6 News with the following statement:…