Farmington Press | Published November 8, 2023
Farmington Hills Fire Department receives $3 million public safety grant
FARMINGTON HILLS — The Farmington Hills Fire Department received a $3 million public safety grant from the state of Michigan, according to a release.
Sens. Rosemary Bayer and Mary Cavanagh, along with state Rep. Jason Hoskins, presented the check to Mayor Pro Tem Randy Bruce, City Manager Gary Mekjian, Fire Chief Jon Unruh and fire staff at the Farmington Hills Fire Department headquarters.
The funds will be used to improve the city’s resiliency by redesigning fire headquarters to include a dedicated space for its emergency operations center.
The center will include generator backup and will allow technology, experts and various resources to come together to support large-scale incidents, such as a large fire that displaces residents, severe weather impacting the community, or other large, planned events.
This dedicated area will also serve as a warming, cooling or reunification location, which will be staffed 24 hours a day, according to the release.
“We’re grateful to receive this support from the State of Michigan that will allow for us to enhance our Fire Headquarters,” Farmington Hills Fire Chief Jon Unruh stated via the release. “Not only will the new space further strengthen our emergency response, it will also help us connect more personally with members of our community through outreach and during times of need.”
This project is in its preliminary stages of design and will be posted for bid according to the city’s purchasing policies, according to the release.
Oakland Early College holds 5K for charity
FARMINGTON HILLS — Oakland Early College held a 5K for charity Oct. 27 at Oakland Community College’s Orchard Ridge campus in Farmington Hills.
In total, 1,187 food items for the OCC Orchard Ridge Food Pantry, 827 hygiene items for Oakland County foster care services, and 2,310 items of clothing for Rham World Wide were collected, according to a release.
There were awards for students who gave the most back to the community, according to the release.
Madison Crider brought in the most donations and took first place, with Lukas Lasecki finishing second and Alana McGowan third.
Fire Department shares safety message with students
FARMINGTON HILLS — The Fire Department, through its Fire Prevention Division, provided a series of fire safety presentations at each of the elementary schools within the community, according to a press release.
During October, two presentations were held at each school, including a 25-minute presentation for kindergarteners and first-graders, and a 45-minute presentation for students in second through fifth grades.
The last assembly for the 2023 series was set to take place Oct. 26.
The presentations resumed in 2023, following a pause due to the coronavirus pandemic.
“This program creates everlasting memories for the students, but also for our firefighters, who are passionate about interacting with our young community members,” Farmington Hills Fire Inspector Sean Beacome stated in the release.
Farmington Hills firefighters and Sparky the Fire Dog, the National Fire Protection Association mascot, visited each school to share age-appropriate fire safety tips in fun and engaging ways, including games and a sing-along, according to the release.
“Visiting schools to deliver our messages to staff and students is always so much fun,” Farmington Hills Fire Marshal Jason Baloga stated in the release. “It’s also a very important part of our fire prevention work, as we teach kids about fire safety and their role in protecting themselves and their families.”
Firefighters also competed in tug-of-war and wheelbarrow races, with students cheering them on, the release states. The winning team quizzed the other team on important fire safety topics, with participation from the crowd of students.
Historian discusses balloon bombs
FARMINGTON — The Farmington Public Library is scheduled to host an event titled “WWII Balloon Bombs Over Farmington,” according to a release.
The event is scheduled to take place 6:30-7:30-p.m. Nov. 8 at the Farmington Public Library, located at 23500 Liberty St. in downtown Farmington.
“Did you know that between 1944 and 1945, the Empire of Japan released thousands of bomb-carrying balloons into the jetstream, in a desperate effort to sow panic and disrupt production facilities on the U.S. mainland? Only about 300 made it across the Pacific, including one that drifted to Farmington, Michigan,” the release states. “Join UD Mercy history professor Greg Sumner as he discusses this fascinating bit of WWII history.”