LYON TOWNSHIP, Mich. – Lyon Township has hired its first four full-time firefighters, along with two full-time captains. Firefighters are a blessing in any community, but they were long overdue in Lyon Township, which has seen its population increase in recent years.
Susan McMahon said she was at a stop light July 26, waiting to turn left.
“I looked to my left and I see this gravel hauler coming so fast,” McMahon said.
She threw her Honda Pilot in reverse and only made it two feet when the truck took the turn and slammed into her, officials said.
“Thank God I did throw it in reverse and no one was behind me or else he wouldn’t gone right up on top of me,” McMahon said. “The fire department was there so fast. I think they showed up while I was still on the phone.”
McMahon was OK. The emergency response time was excellent, but that hasn’t always been a guarantee.
“Minutes do matter,” Capt. Nate Sturos said. “There’s no doubt about it.”
Sturos was just promoted from part-time lieutenant to full-time captain at the Lyon Township Fire Department. He said he knows the investment in staff and equipment was necessary for the township, which has grown by 7-10% every year for the last five years.
More jobs also means better training, he said.
“Thirty years ago, you had 17 minutes to get out of your house when you heard the fire alarm,” Sturos said. “Today, you have three.”
These changes have allowed the department to go from having several shifts uncovered to being staffed nearly 24/7.