As Rochester Hills continues to grow, so does demand for emergency services. The Fire Department is evaluating additional staffing and resources to maintain response times, improve coverage, and ensure firefighters can respond safely and effectively to emergencies.

Why Is This Being Considered?

Over the past decade:

📈 Calls for service increased from 6,644 to 9,212 annually (+39%)

🚑 EMS calls have grown significantly and now account for the majority of incidents

🏢 Senior living facilities generate more than one-third of all calls despite representing less than 2% of the population

🚨 The department exhausted all available units 224 times in 2025

9,212

Calls for service in 2025

224

Times all Rochester Hills fire units were committed to other emergencies

34%

Of calls originated from senior living facilities in 2025

Proposed Solution

The Fire Department recommends adding 12 full-time firefighter/paramedics to:

• Increase emergency response capacity

• Reduce situations where all units are unavailable

• Improve firefighter safety

• Enhance compliance with national staffing standards

• Support future equipment replacement needs

How Would It Be Funded?

The proposal would be funded through a 0.5 mill increase dedicated to fire services.

Funding would support:

• Additional firefighter/paramedics

• Enhanced emergency response coverage

• Future replacement of fire trucks, ambulances, and critical equipment