Hampton Township's fire and police departments are to merge into a public safety model, where firefighters and officers are crossed trained to do both jobs.
The township's Board of Trustees on Monday, Oct. 1, approved the partial transition from two agencies into one, said Supervisor Terri Close. Six board members voted in favor of the proposal, while one voted against it.
This marks the third time such a merger has occurred in Bay County, with Essexville and Bay City having also adopted public safety models.
The Hampton Township development stems from Consumers Energy having closed its Weadock Generating Plant in 2016 and announcing earlier this year that it is closing coal units one and two at the Karn Generating Complex by 2023. Both sites are located within Hampton Township.