Posted by The Huron Hub | Feb. 16, 2023 — 9:30 AM EST
Van Buren Township Police are asking the public to avoid the area of Huron River Drive, between Martinsville and Haggerty due to a railroad derailment investigation.
Haggerty Road will be closed south of I-94, as well as Huron river Drive west of Haggerty.
Authorities say there is no evidence of leaking hazardous materials, and no injuries reported.
The investigation is active and ongoing, updates will be made as they become available.
By Scott Bolthouse | The Huron Hub ScottBolthouse@HuronHub.com Posted Friday, Feb. 10, 2023 — updated 10:51 a.m.
No injuries were reported after a house fire occurred Thursday in the Country Meadows manufactured homes community in Huron Township.
The Huron Township Emergency Dispatch Center received a 911 call reporting a structure fire in the 28000 block of Spruce Drive at 2:48 p.m.
The 911 caller reported that the house had smoke coming out of it through the vents and that he could see that the inside of the house was smoky.
Everette Robbins, director of public safety, said first responders were on the scene and working the structure fire within 8 minutes of the 911 call.
No one was inside the house and the fire was contained to the single structure.
The fire was extinguished and the scene was cleared at 6:27 p.m.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
Several area fire departments assisted Huron Fire Department due to an auto-aid agreement that requests assistance from other local departments.
Six departments that responded to assist Huron included Ash Township, Woodhaven, Flat Rock, Rockwood, Exeter Township, and Gibraltar.
Huron Valley Ambulance and Rapid Response also responded to the scene to be on standby to assist throughout the afternoon and evening incase a firefighter from any of the departments was injured.
“Our Auto-Aid agreement worked just as intended and we can’t thank the fire departments that responded enough for their assistance. It is amazing to see multiple fire departments working together as a team to not only protect property, but to make sure everyone on the scene gets home safely,” Robbins said.
When firefighters arrived on scene, it was discovered that the community’s fire hydrants were shut off.
Robbins said that hydrants in the community were shut off on Thursday because of “needed repair and maintenance.”
Robbins said the delay in response due to the lack of working hydrants didn’t have a major impact on fighting the fire.
“It did cause a time delay, but firefighters were able to adapt and use other methods. We do not believe the delay caused a significant impact to the ultimate damage to the residence,” Robbins said. “We were able to use mutual aid tankers from Exeter and Ash Townships to fight the fire in the absence of working hydrants. They were also able to shuttle and draft water out of portable pools to supply water to Flat Rock’s Ladder Truck and Huron Townships Fire Engine.”
It was a busy Wednesday for police in Huron Township.
Nearly three dozen drivers were cited Feb. 1 for distracted driving in the township during a special police operation.
“It is likely that our residents saw the increased visibility from our officers yesterday. Distracted driving is an epidemic that affects all of us and is something we believe needs to be seriously addressed. The danger that exists when a driver decides they must text while in control of their vehicle can be devastating to their family or someone else’s. We have seen it all too often and even here in Huron Township. Hopefully this can spark some conversation between parents and their young drivers as well,” said Everette Robbins, Huron Township director of public safety.
In total, 35 drivers were cited for distracted driving during the operation.
In addition to the citations issued to distracted drivers, police also nabbed several other drivers for various offenses.
61 total traffic stops were initiated during the police operation.
One driver was arrested for drunken driving after being stopped by police for texting while driving.
22 drivers were cited for speeding.
Two people identified as illegal immigrants during a traffic stop were turned over to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
Nine drivers were cited for having expired license plates, and one driver was cited for having an expired driver’s license.
One driver was cited for passing a school bus with stop lights activated, and another driver was cited for running a traffic signal while driving.
Ten no proof of insurance citations were issued, and two drivers were issued citations for equipment violations.
The proactive detail was conducted by the Huron Township Police Department Traffic Services Unit. In addition to traffic enforcement, Robbins said the unit has recently conducted proactive details such as warrant sweeps, impaired driving, sex offender registry checks, and school bus passing enforcement.
Below is a message from the department’s GoFundMe page:
The Huron Township Police and Fire Departments would like to work with deserving children again this holiday season with our 8th annual “Shop with a Hero” event.
Last year, we provided a Christmas for Huron Township children and multiple other well-deserving families. It was and is truly the best day of the year. Huron Township First Responders, community members, Huron School District staff and their families volunteered their time to make this happen. Our goal is to make this the best Christmas for children that otherwise may not have one.
After seeing our event for the last several years, many residents asked us how they could donate to this wonderful cause. We again ask our community partners for help in this project. Anything will help. We assure you that every dollar will go towards Huron Township Children, and receipts will be maintained.
The goal is to make this happen, not just from the Police and Fire Departments but from this great community! If we are lucky enough to surpass our goal, the Huron Township Police Department will gladly use extra money to help other families in our community. In that instance as well, all expenditures will be publicly revealed.
Based on the generosity of our residents, we were able to help many more people last year during the holiday season than ever before. Below is a synopsis of some of last year’s event, which was our biggest ever:
We started the evening by pairing each child with a Huron Township Police Officer, Huron Township Firefighter and a generous volunteer! Each child got a private ride in a Huron Township Police Car or Huron Township Fire Truck to have a night out shopping. Before leaving, each kid got the chance to get into the Police Car or Fire Truck, turn on the lights, and ring the sirens; probably their favorite part of the evening.
We traveled to the Meijer Store in Flat Rock, where each kid got to go on a shopping spree for themselves and their family. Each parent also went on a shopping spree of their own to help with Santa’s arrival on Christmas morning, not only for the kids present at the event but for their siblings as well. Special thanks to the entire staff at the Meijer in Flat Rock for going out of their way to make this memorable for these children. In addition, each family also received a $100 Meijer gift card to assist with making Christmas even more special.
(10) Huron Township Middle and High School students were also taken on shopping sprees. Their names and photos are withheld due to their age and the sensitive nature of being a teenager.
** The highlight of the event **
Each year we try to highlight a special highlight that shows the true meaning of Christmas through the eyes of a child. When we arrived at the store, each child was told that they had money to spend to buy themselves anything in the store that they wanted. One child took more than two hours to shop, while most can spend their money in 5 minutes. We asked this child why he struggled to pick things out for himself. The 6-year-old child responded that everything in the store cost too much and that he didn’t want to waste OUR money. The child then asked if they only spent half of their money, could they give the other half to their baby sister, who they said needed toys too! Once we told them their mom was shopping for their baby sister, the money was gone in 5 minutes. The selflessness of this young child showed is what the giving season is all about! Proves we never know what is going through a child’s mind!
This year we look forward to returning to our traditional event and thank the community for their partnership in creating a night that OUR kids will never forget!
Three members of the Huron Township Department of Public Safety graduated recently from the Eastern Michigan University School of Police and Fire Staff and Command.
Included in the graduation was Deputy Fire Chief Bill Metzger, Deputy Police Chief Mark Neumann, and Sgt. Thomas Smith.
The program consists of a 10-month training program which convenes for one 40-hour week per month.
Eastern Michigan University’s School of Police and Fire Staff and Command has a reputation for excellence and is supported by quality instructors and law enforcement professionals who make up the foundation of this unique educational/training program.
This excellence is supported through comments from graduates who have stated publicly that the knowledge, skills and abilities learned assisted them in:
“Our goal is to provide our public safety command staff with consistent and professional training as it relates to their leadership in delivering quality service to our residents. The Eastern Michigan School of Staff and Command is one of the preeminent programs in the country that focuses on the executive level training and development,” said Everette Robbins, director of public safety. “Professional Policing within any public safety organization starts at the top with those in positions of leadership. If we hold ourselves accountable as leaders and train accordingly, it truly funnels down to the great men and women we have that serve our community.”
Over a dozen members from Huron Public Safety have graduated from the specialized school.
Deputy Fire Chief Bill Metzger receives his diploma.
A disturbing trend on the local roads continues to be the case in Huron Township, and police continue to respond with extra bus stop patrols.
Huron Township police were on the lookout for drivers bypassing school bus stop lights on Wednesday morning.
During the special operation that was organized by the department’s traffic services unit, police caught and cited three drivers for passing buses with stop lights flashing.
The operation included several plain clothes officers on multiple buses, unmarked police vehicles following multiple buses, and fully marked patrol vehicles assigned to initiate traffic stops on offenders.
High School, middle school, and elementary bus routes were targeted and enforced.
“I truly cannot understand what is going through the mind of a driver who values a child’s life so little that they blow through the emergency lighting without second thought. We will continue to do these proactive details on a regular basis as the safety of our children is our top priority. If you as a driver feel that you in such a hurry that you put one of our kids safety in jeopardy, my advice is to think twice, leave earlier for your destination, or accept your citation that we will gladly serve to you. We will have a zero-tolerance policy as always regarding this issue,” said Everette Robbins, director of public safety.
Even though the responsibility is on the driver to stop, parents can still make the bus stop a safer place for their children by being there with them at the bus stop.
Robbins said it surprises him how many children, including those in elementary school, are at the bus stop alone.
“One thing that continues to blow my mind is the number of elementary age children standing by the busy road alone while parents waved from the door or were nowhere to be visibly seen. My advice in the name of safety would be for parents to be with their children until they safely are on the bus, especially as we enter the cold weather season. We noted those addresses as we observed them and plan to make personal contact with parents to discuss how dangerous this really is for their children,” he said.
During Wednesday’s patrol, one driver on Sibley Road passed a stopped school bus without slowing down at all.
Robbins pointed out that in the video, you can see an adult stopping the child from crossing the road to get on the bus.
“Thankfully an adult was with that child, and they certainly saved that child’s life by holding them back from crossing,” Robbins said.
The driver was pulled over and cited for careless, driving and driving on a suspended license. Afterwards, her vehicle was towed.
Here is video:
A driver going full speed bypasses a stopped bus on Sibley Road in Huron Township. You can see an adult stopping the child from crossing the road right before the offender drives by.
Year to date, Huron Township police have caught 48 drivers bypassing buses with stop lights.
As the November general election draws near, The Huron Hub is hosting a question and answer session with Huron Township’s public safety director regarding the upcoming fire department millage renewal.
Below are the questions and answers from Everette Robbins, director of public safety.
How will the upcoming millage read on the ballot in November?
The ballot will contain the following language:
Shall the previous voted increase in the total tax rate limitation that may be imposed for all purposes upon property in the Charter Township of Huron, Wayne County, Michigan, as reduced to 1.9595 mills ($1.95 per $1,000 of taxable value) by the required millage rollbacks, be renewed at and increased up to the original voted 2.0051 mills ($2 per $1,000 of taxable value) for a period of twenty (20) years, the years 2023 to 2042, both inclusive, to provide funds for the operation and maintenance of the fire department; which levy will raise in the first year of the levy approximately $1,338,273. (THIS IS A RENEWAL OF FIRE MILLAGE PRESENTLY BEING LEVIED.)
Is this a new millage? No, it is not. This is a renewal of the current operating millage which expires at the end of this year.
What is this millage in November for? The millage we are asking residents to pass on Tuesday, November 8th, 2022, is for the operating costs of maintaining fire services within Huron Township. This includes the personnel costs of our firefighters, fire costs such as lifesaving supplies for fire response vehicles, utilities, fuel costs, training, insurance, as well as computer and radio maintenance fees just to name a few. Simply put, and most importantly, it would allow us to continue to employ the most dedicated and professional group of firefighters I’ve ever worked with in my almost 30 years in public safety. As a resident myself, it makes me cringe to think for a moment about not having OUR firefighters responding to help my family, friends, and fellow residents when time is critical, and they are needed the most. To me this millage is mostly about them, OUR firefighters. So often I get asked by residents how they can thank our firefighters for the great job they do. Supporting them and giving them the ability to continue to serve Huron Township as they proudly do every day is the best thanks I can think of. Make no mistake, I do realize that I am more fortunate than most residents who must make the choice at the ballot because I get a front row seat to the great things our fire staff does every single day. I get to see the lives they save. I get to watch as they run into a burning building to save a family’s pet without hesitation. The respect and admiration that I have for them is endless. My family and I sleep well at night knowing that if we need them, the best in the world are coming to help!
How many firefighters do we have in Huron Township? Currently, we have three full-time Firefighter/ Paramedics, four part-time Firefighter Paramedics, 11 part-time Emergency Medical Technicians, and 11 paid-on-call Firefighters.
Our Fire Department is led by one of the greatest leaders I’ve ever known, Fire Chief Jamie Hinojosa. The love he has for this community is infectious. To say we are fortunate to have him at the helm is truly an understatement!
Huron Township Fire Chief Jamie Hinojosa
24 hours a day, 7 days a week we staff a Firefighter Paramedic partnered with an Emergency Medical Technician. We are a licensed Advanced Life Support Fire Department (ALS) Fire Department. The most important part of being an ALS Department is that a licensed Paramedic is always on duty when one of our residents, business owners, or crash victims need them the most and time is critical.
Does our Fire Department mostly respond to fires or medical emergencies? In 2021, the Huron Township Fire Department responded to 1578 EMS or medical and 276 fire related calls for service. From January 1st, 2022, through September 30th, 2022, the Huron Township Fire Department responded to 1258 medical and 184 fire related calls for service. As documented, the higher number of calls for service are EMS (medical) calls which is related directly to the health and safety of our residents.
Is this the only millage that is used for fire department services? No, it is not. On August 4th, 2020, The Huron Township voters graciously approved a fire improvements millage of .96 mills. This millage can only be used for improvements to the Township Fire Department for the costs of acquiring, constructing and/or improving buildings, facilities, sites, vehicles, and equipment for the Fire Department, including the costs of constructing and/or improving the Public Safety Dispatch Center.
Prior to the 2020 election, we invited residents to tour our fire facilities and take a firsthand look at our equipment. We also conducted numerous town hall style meetings within the neighborhoods we serve. We were very transparent with our residents as to our intentions with this millage. Our fire staff puts their lives on the line each and every day for us and in return deserve the best facilities and equipment we are able to provide them.
The fire improvements millage cannot legally be used for operating costs or personnel costs. It can only be used for the things that I mentioned above.
Can you give us an update as to how we have used the money from the equipment millage that was passed a couple years ago? What is being asked, I believe, is about the Fire Improvement Millage that I outlined above. Many residents were able to see for themselves the disrepair that our fire stations were in as well as some of the outdated equipment our fire staff were using as they performed their duties.
In the first couple years of this millage, we are making good on the promises we made to residents back in 2020. Currently, we are in the process of finalizing plans and beginning renovations on the fire station in Waltz. This will be a great opportunity for us to not only improve one of our fire facilities, but it will also be something that residents can be proud of and it will really be a beautiful improvement to that great village. This will be a great first step to improve our public safety infrastructure. The other major use of this millage in the initial years is the ordering of a new Fire Ladder Truck. Currently, we are utilizing a 1992 ladder truck that we purchased used in 2018. Although the truck has served its purpose, as we did our best to work with what we could afford, it is beginning to fail, and maintenance costs are increasing. A new fire ladder truck has been ordered, but it will not be available for approximately 2 years. Once it is here, it will be a long-term investment for our community that I truly believe will save not only property but lives as well.
I want to make sure I reiterate that none of these funds can be used for costs associated with the millage we are asking the residents to pass in November of 2022. For instance, we could not use the funds spent on either the fire facility improvements or the Fire truck for personnel and/or operating costs. The reason for going into great detail as to how we are using the Fire Improvement Millage Funds is hopefully to show our residents that we are transparent while following through on the promises we made.
What will happen if this millage (Fire Operating Millage) doesn’t pass? The truth is that I do not know what we will do. We have done our best to be fiscally responsible, but eventually any saved money will run out. While we will continue to have our Fire Improvement Millage funds available, if we are unable to provide personnel it will be irrelevant as that millage cannot be spent on operating costs. I always hate the part where millage requests become what seems like a threat if it doesn’t pass, so I apologize in advance. Simply put, if we as a community want to maintain our own fire department with OUR personnel, this millage must pass. If it doesn’t, we will search for plan B, but at this moment I don’t know what that may look like. I can say confidentially that we won’t be in better hands than we are now.
What do you as the Director of Public Safety want the community to know about the Huron Township Fire Department? Several things, thank you for this question. I want the community to know that we don’t only strive to serve the community, but as importantly we want to be a part of the community. We want to not only be there during a critical incident, but also be there to teach and educate the community at events like Applefest, Community Picnic, etc. We truly enjoy getting into the neighborhoods and meeting the residents we serve and listening to their input because their voices matter the most. The kids, what’s more important than the kids? Whether it’s the positive memories they will hold forever when getting sprayed by the truck in the summer or waving at Santa and the Easter Bunny as the Fire Truck comes by, nothing is more important than passing on our love of public safety to the little ones. I serve in this position today because of positive experiences with public safety in the community where I grew up, and I want the same memories and experiences for our children.
My true hope? I hope that our community will pass this millage not because we pass out fliers or post on social media, but because we have proven to them over many years that we are deserving of their support. I hope that over the past several years we have built a trust and partnership with the residents of Huron Township through providing quality service and open communication. I hope the community will support us because they feel we have supported them when they needed us the most.
The greatest part of serving the community that I have chosen to live and raise my family in is never having to ask you to make a decision that I don’t have to make myself. I will support this millage because our firefighters and the safety of this wonderful community Is undoubtedly worth it.
Lastly, to OUR Huron Township Firefighters, thank you from the bottom of my heart for the great work you do. To our paid-on-call staff, thank you for leaving the comfort of your homes when the tones go off. And thank you for the feeling of safety you unselfishly provide for Huron Township!
That’s how long it takes for a child to board a school bus.
I know because I personally timed it on my stopwatch when I did a ride along with Huron Township police on Monday morning.
Since school started, there have been a rash of drivers passing schools buses that are stopped on area roads.
11 seconds is what these impatient drivers are saving during their commutes, when they pass a bus that’s stopped with red flashing lights.
To these drivers, saving 11 seconds is more important to them than the safety of our children, and local police are doing what they can to crack down on the issue.
On Monday morning, police conducted a bus operation by following all of the bus routes in the township.
My ride along began at about 5:45 a.m. on Monday with a briefing at the police station.
A group of officers gathered to discuss the bus routes and make their plan of action for the morning, and then it was off to patrol the roads.
Not only were there extra patrol units following each bus route in the township, but multiple buses also had an officer on board to relay information to the officers in the police cars.
Once the briefing was finished, I got into an unmarked Huron police SUV with Police Chief Everette Robbins in the driver’s seat.
When we hit the roads, it only took a matter of a few bus stops until I witnessed the first violator drive right past a school bus stopped on Middle Belt Road.
The egregious thing about this driver is that they didn’t even slow down for the bus.
They blew right past the bus going 45 mph. It was shocking and sad to see.
The driver, who was a resident from a local community, blamed their actions on the wet roads when an officer approached their vehicle.
They actually claimed they were scared to stop for the bus.
It was raining on this morning, but that’s no excuse for not stopping.
It makes no sense.
In instances like these, police can write reckless driving tickets due to the manner in which a driver passes the bus.
Fair warning to drivers: if you fly past a bus, you are likely going to get a reckless driving offense in Huron Township.
During the remainder of the morning, police nabbed a second driver for passing another stopped bus.
That’s two drivers on Monday morning who disregarded a bus stop.
Police say that this has happened just about every morning since school has started, and if you read this publication regularly, you’ve probably seen the multiple reports we’ve published on the issue.
Seeing this happen makes me mad and I want to do what I can to make people aware of what’s happening.
Parents have some power over this.
By standing with their children and helping them get onto the bus safely, we can make sure our children are safe.
Unfortunately during my ride along, I witnessed a young boy, maybe in first grade, who was out by the busy road all by himself waiting for the bus.
I watched as the young school student had to make the choice for himself, to cross the road to get onto the bus.
No parents were anywhere in sight, no adults even outside at the time. No one was there to pull him back, in case a driver made a bad decision at that very moment.
I was stunned.
Adults should be out at the bus stop with their children, especially with younger school students.
To me, that’s an obvious thing to do. It’s a parent’s duty.
A few positive things I gathered during my ride along: most stops did have adults standing with their students.
Additionally, many drivers were extremely cautious as they approached bus stops.
Some drivers stopped well before the red lights were even flashing.
Well done, to them.
Also, according to police, not one Huron Township resident has been caught passing a school bus this year.
That says a lot about the families that live in the township.
We care about the kids in our community, and so does our law enforcement.
By bringing more attention to this issue, maybe we’ll be able to solve it.
Thanks to the Huron Township police for letting me ride with them this week.
Two motorists passed stopped schools buses in Huron Township Friday morning, and local law enforcement is saying enough is enough.
“We certainly will be reaching out to lawmakers to see what can be done,” said Everette Robbins, director of public safety. “Enough is enough.”
A Taylor resident passed a stopped bus early Friday morning near Sibley Road and Vining.
Robbins said the driver “apologized after.”
Later in the morning, a Romulus resident with an expired license plate and no proof of insurance passed a bus near Sibley and Merriman Road.
“These two are probably the most egregious yet. These were not mistakes, they didn’t even slow down. It makes me sick to my stomach to watch. You can hear people beeping horns and yelling in the video, and it makes no difference,” Robbins said.
Below is dash cam video of the drivers passing the buses.
Do you have questions about the upcoming fire department millage renewal? Send them to ScottBolthouse@HuronHub.com and they’ll be forwarded to the public safety director.
The Huron Hub is hosting a question and answer session regarding the upcoming millage renewal for the fire department that will appear on the ballot in November.
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