By Lynn Moore
Muskegon Chronicle (Michigan)
Copyright 2007 Muskegon Chronicle
All Rights Reserved
BLUE LAKE TWP., Mich. — Allegations that a fire captain and two other firefighters aren’t licensed to respond to medical emergencies are under investigation by Blue Lake Township’s attorney.
The township’s fire committee in early February recommended that the board of trustees suspend Capt. Steve A. Holke, who state documents show doesn’t hold a valid emergency medical license, and Fire Chief Kim Busman, according to a fire committee member.
The board didn’t suspend the two, but asked its attorney to investigate. Since then, Holke has continued to respond to medical emergencies.
Township officials declined to comment on the ongoing investigation.
“I can’t say a thing about that,” said Township Supervisor Don Studaven.
Clerk Fred E. Arbogast, who is chairman of the fire committee, also wouldn’t comment, saying the matter is protected by “attorney-client privilege.”
Fire committee member Bob Dornbush said he made the motion to recommend suspensions after discovering that several firefighters weren’t licensed. He said it’s up to Busman to ensure proper licensing of personnel who respond to medical emergencies. Dornbush also alleges that Busman didn’t make sure fire officials are adequately trained, pointing to an incident at a house fire he claims could have killed a firefighter.
Dornbush previously worked as a firefighter in Egelston and Port Sheldon townships.
The state of Michigan indicates that Holke’s emergency medical technician license expired more than a year ago — in September 2005. Working without a valid license in Michigan is a felony, according to a “frequently asked questions” document prepared by the Michigan Department of Community Health.
Holke said that firefighters responding to medical emergencies don’t necessarily touch patients, but are needed for traffic control and other issues. Because he’s a command officer, he said, he also is needed to write reports and ensure the safety of other fire personnel on the scene.
“Whether you have a medical license does not necessarily preclude you from responding to a medical emergency,” Holke said.
He declined to answer specific questions.
Dornbush said his own investigation turned up two other Blue Lake Township firefighters who do not have emergency medical licenses, though one of them works out of town a lot and hasn’t responded to a medical call recently.
Fire reports indicate Holke responded to nine medical calls in January and February and the other allegedly unlicensed firefighter, Robert Crawford, responded to eight.
Firefighters in Blue Lake Township work on an on-call basis, and are paid according to how many incidents they respond to.
While Dornbush said he believes Holke likely is qualified to respond to emergencies, he is concerned about the township’s liability if something went wrong on a medical call.
“If you’re licensed, our insurance carrier is going to cover you,” Dornbush said. “If you’re unlicensed, I’m making an assumption the insurance carrier would say I’m not covering you.’”
He said he wonders why the township’s investigation has dragged on for two months and why the attorney needs to explore the licensing issue, which he said is essentially a “black-and-white issue.”
“If I would not have said anything, would anybody be proactive at resolving the problem? I don’t think so,” Dornbush said. “They would’ve let things go on and nobody would’ve said anything.”
Chief Busman declined to comment on the investigation, saying he was told not to.
Dornbush said he also has been concerned about a house fire on Blue Lake Road during which the incident commander moved from offensive mode to defensive mode while a firefighter was inside the house. As part of the defensive mode, firefighters used a large hose to blast the fire, which pushed it in the direction of the firefighter who was still inside, Dornbush said.