The Niles Township Board of Trustees voted unanimously Monday to donate a fire department command/air supply trailer to the Berrien County Firefighters Training Council.
The regional training association wrote to trustee treasurer James Ringler requesting the purchase of the trailer for $1,500 to re-purpose for training use.
The trailer was utilized by the Niles Township Fire Department and is more than 20 years old. It had formerly been used as a mobile command trailer, where firefighters could fill air tanks on the scene. The trailer is no longer compatible with what firefighters use, according to Niles Township firefighter Josh Sherrick.
“Is there any reason why we should not just give it to them?” Stover asked trustees.
Most of the equipment inside of the trailer, which is equipped with a generator and heating and air conditioning unit, was donated, according to trustee Terry Eull. The trailer itself was built through donations and donated labor.
Eull said the township circulated the sale of the trailer around the fire community to see if there was any interest. Only the Berrien County Firefighters Training Council responded.
Stover said that with the group having only a limited operational budget it might be a worthy cause.
Trustee Cooper echoed this sentiment and made a motion to donate the trailer.
Sherrick said that the trailer will serve prospective firefighters across counties in southwest Michigan.
“It is a great thing, because from that program we get firefighters as well,” Sherrick said. “I think it is a nice thing for the township to do.”
Other items on Monday’s agenda:
• Trustees awarded a water asset management bid to Prien & Newhoff for $16,500.
Stover said that it has been ordered by the state of Michigan that an asset management be in place for storm and drinking water to meet the needs of future capital expenditures.
• Trustees approved a bid for the Fireman’s Park drainage improvement project. Hollerbach Excavating from Stevensville was selected for the bid of $21,616.
There were five total bids. Hollerbach’s was the lowest.
The project was initiated in response to residents’ concerns, after heavy rain last summer caused ballpark runoff to drain into their homes.
The township last discussed improvements to the park’s drainage system at the beginning of January, when they approved specification plans to extend the storm sewer into the east and west side of the ball field. At that time, they said they were hoping to begin the project in the spring.
• The board announced that Niles Township residents will be able to dropoff old tires on April 29 at the Niles Township Hall, located at 320 Bell Road. A time frame for dropoff is expected to be set up at the next trustee meeting.
• Niles Township Board of Trustees approved the hiring of two new volunteer firefighters. Ronnie West and Robert Van Luvanee were welcomed to the team.
West and Van Luvanee successfully passed the physical agility test and completed classes firefighter one and two. Van Luvanee is already a certified firefighter with Wayne Township. Ronnie was on the Dowagiac and Indian Lake fire departments.
There are 25 volunteer firefighters on the Niles Township Fire Department, according to Sherrik.
• Supervisor Jim Stover announced that Department of Public Works manager Gary Schrader would be resigning. Schrader stated in a formal letter of resignation that his last workday would be March 31. He will be on vacation until June 30, 2017, when he will officially be done with the job.
Schrader has served Niles Township for more than 20 years.