City Council requested analyses after the fire department recommended relocating one station and either remaining at three stations or adding a fourth to bring more neighborhoods within recommended response times.
The information requested by the governing body includes comparisons to fire response times in peer communities and a financial analysis for building and staffing potential new fire stations.
"But looking at the planning of the stations, if we chose a three-station model, we would locate the stations in certain locations based on the criteria that we're going to have.
Only about 33% of Midland is within a four-minute response time range of a fire station.
# Overview
Midland City Council held a workshop to review options for relocating one of the city's three fire stations and either keeping a three-station model or adding a fourth station. The conversation follows a 2024 fire study with 65 recommendations for the department and centers on getting more of the city within fast response ranges.
# Why change is being considered
# Options the department presented
Mosher walked Council through placement options intended to maximize coverage within a five-minute response time, acknowledging that even with four stations some areas would remain beyond four minutes. The department also accounted for anticipated city growth, aiming to build stations that serve the community for decades.
If Midland remains a three-station system:
If Midland expands to four stations:
Under both scenarios, Station 2 (313 Townsend) and Station 3 (1717 N. Saginaw Rd) would stay in their current locations. Mosher showed additional layouts that would add a fourth station without moving existing stations, but he did not recommend that approach because coverage gaps would remain.
# Costs and budget implications
Mosher provided preliminary cost estimates: roughly $15 million to construct a new headquarters-style station and $6–7 million for a smaller non-headquarters station. Staffing a newly built station would raise operating costs by about $3 million per year. Council requested a more detailed financial analysis of construction and staffing costs, plus comparisons to peer communities' response performance.
# Next steps for Council
City Manager Brad Kaye emphasized that no financial commitment is being requested immediately. Council asked for:
Council will use that information to decide whether to pursue a three- or four-station model, and where to site a relocated station if they approve changes.
# Practical takeaway
The city is exploring changes to station locations and count to close response-time gaps created by decades of growth. Decisions hinge on the upcoming comparative response data and a financial analysis requested by Council.
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