Emmet County officials will take a closer look later this month at the possibility of extending funds for essential fire department rescue tools, but some of those officials fear being stretched too thin on a county budget that is already threadbare.
The county is phasing out the contributions it offers to seven Emmet County fire departments to help fund training and maintenance for their “extrication tools,” more commonly known by the proprietary name “Jaws of Life.” The county cut its total budget for those tools by half in the 2019 budget, and could cut the funds completely next year.
Members of the Emmet County Fire Chief’s Association have raised opposition to those cuts.
“It’s one of those things that costs money, but it’s an essential lifesaving tool,” Al Welsheimer, chief of the Resort-Bear Creek Fire Department and president of the Emmet County Fire Chief’s Association, said at Monday night’s meeting.