FRUITLAND TOWNSHIP— Fruitland Township residents gathered at Township Hall on July 23 to hear representatives from both White Lake Ambulance Authority and Trinity Health EMS explain their emergency medical service models, answer questions from residents, and discuss the ambulance millage proposal appearing on the August 4 ballot.
The meeting focused on what a “yes” vote would mean, how the proposal reached the ballot, response times, staffing, funding, and how emergency medical services would operate under either system.
How Fruitland Township Reached This Point
White Lake Ambulance Authority Director and Paramedic Jonathan Degen began by outlining the timeline that led to the current proposal.
According to Degen, Fruitland Township first approached White Lake Ambulance Authority in June 2025 to discuss whether the authority could once again provide ambulance service to the township after more than a decade with Trinity Health EMS.
White Lake Ambulance Authority previously served Fruitland Township until the mid-2010s, when financial difficulties led to changes in coverage. Since that time, Trinity Health EMS has provided primary ambulance service for the township.
Degen explained that the original proposal involved a one- to two-year service contract while both organizations evaluated whether the arrangement would work. However, after attorneys representing both organizations reviewed the proposal, they determined that adding Fruitland Township as a full member of the White Lake Ambulance Authority would be the more appropriate legal path.
Over the following months, Fruitland Township approved resolutions requesting membership in the authority, followed by approvals from the authority’s existing five member municipalities. Those actions ultimately led to placing the proposal before Fruitland Township voters.
What Is On the Ballot?
Fruitland Township voters are being asked whether the township should join the White Lake Ambulance Authority and authorize a millage of up to 1.9 mills for ambulance services beginning with the December 2026 tax levy.
The proposal estimates approximately $793,319 would be generated in the first year if the full levy were imposed.
During his presentation, Degen emphasized that although ballot language authorizes up to 1.9 mills, White Lake Ambulance Authority is not currently levying that amount in its existing member municipalities.
He said the authority’s current operating millage is 1.65 mills and that, if Fruitland Township joins, the authority’s board expects to reevaluate the rate after incorporating the township’s tax base. While he said he could not promise a specific future millage because that decision belongs to the authority’s board, he told residents he anticipates the rate would be lower than 1.65 mills.
White Lake Ambulance Authority’s Proposal
Degen said White Lake Ambulance Authority currently operates four Advanced Life Support ambulances staffed with at least one paramedic and one EMT, with two ambulances staffed around the clock from stations in Whitehall Township and Montague. The authority also maintains reserve equipment and a mass casualty trailer.
The authority responded to 1,412 calls during 2025, including 1,112 emergency 911 calls, while also assisting neighboring communities through mutual aid agreements. Degen noted that nearly 400 calls last year occurred outside the authority’s five current member municipalities, demonstrating that available capacity already exists to respond beyond its primary coverage area.
Based on call data provided by Fruitland Township, White Lake Ambulance Authority estimates approximately 300 emergency calls per year, or roughly 20 calls per month, would originate from the township. Degen said those calls could be handled by redirecting some of the mutual aid responses currently occurring outside the authority’s district rather than adding another permanently staffed ambulance.
Using recent call data, Degen said White Lake Ambulance Authority averaged approximately 12 minutes and 15 seconds responding to Fruitland Township calls over the previous year and a half.
He also stressed that the authority is not seeking expansion beyond Fruitland Township, saying the proposal exists because township officials requested another option for ambulance service.
Trinity Health EMS Discusses Current Service
Following Degen’s presentation, Trinity Health Michigan Director of EMS Operations Chad Crook spoke about Trinity’s current ambulance system and changes the organization has made to improve rural response.
Crook acknowledged concerns raised by residents regarding lengthy ambulance response times and said Trinity has been working to improve service through the use of paramedic “fly cars,” non-transport emergency response vehicles staffed by a paramedic carrying equipment and medications equivalent to an Advanced Life Support ambulance.
Rather than transporting patients, these units arrive first to begin advanced treatment while an ambulance is still responding.
Crook said Trinity expanded a fly car into the Fruitland Township area recently, with guaranteed staffing three days per week and additional shifts frequently filled by overtime staff. The long-term goal, he said, is to continue expanding coverage based on response time data and staffing availability.
According to Crook, Trinity’s response performance in the White Lake Fire coverage area has improved significantly since implementing the fly car model, with approximately 88% of rural emergency calls arriving within the state’s rural response time standard during the most recent reporting period.
Crook also discussed Trinity’s staffing model, explaining that the system uses a combination of Advanced Life Support ambulances, Basic Life Support ambulances, and paramedic fly cars positioned throughout Muskegon County based on historical call volume.
Residents Ask Questions
Much of the evening consisted of questions from residents.
Topics included:
- Ambulance response times
- Staffing levels
- Mutual aid agreements
- How ambulance billing works
- Why the ballot language lists “up to 1.9 mills”
- Whether White Lake Ambulance Authority would eventually add another ambulance
- How Trinity determines where ambulances and fly cars are stationed
- Whether emergency patients could request transport to hospitals outside Muskegon County
- Future EMS staffing and recruitment challenges
Both presenters also discussed the ongoing shortage of EMS professionals statewide, saying staffing remains one of the largest challenges facing ambulance providers. White Lake Ambulance Authority and Trinity Health EMS each described different approaches to recruiting and retaining paramedics and EMTs while maintaining emergency coverage.
August 4 Election
Fruitland Township voters will decide the proposal during the August 4 election.
If approved, the proposal would authorize Fruitland Township to join the White Lake Ambulance Authority and levy a tax of up to 1.9 mills for ambulance services beginning with the December 2026 tax levy. If the proposal is not approved, Trinity Health EMS would remain the township’s primary ambulance provider.
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