This year was one for the ages in Van Buren Township – at least when it came to weird incidents that challenged public safety.

“In my 32 years here, this has been the busiest year for calls that I’ve never experienced before,” said Van Buren Fire Chief David McInally.

Not only is McInally the fire chief, he’s also the township’s emergency manager, so he’s often the first one called when a public safety event happens. He went through a certification process to get that position.

Fortunately, the township’s public safety department – police, fire and dispatch – are well trained and work very well together to make sure incidents are responded to quickly and efficiently.

It all started with the train derailment in February. According to Ages continued on page 26 various reports, about 30 cars from a Norfolk Southern train were impacted in the derailment, which happened in the area of Huron River Drive between Martinsville and Haggerty roads. There were no hazardous materials being carried in the affected cars and there were no injuries. But officials arriving on the scene didn’t know that, and have to approach every incident prepared for the worst.

The township worked with Wayne County Roads and other agencies, making sure that the area was well secured and there was no imminent danger to neighboring residents or communities.

McInally said that the event happening so close to the train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, made people in the area nervous.

The summer was especially busy for township public safety workers. In June a fatal shooting occurred in a shopping plaza involving two out-of-state truck drivers. In August officials had to deal with a plane crash, a tornado and rainstorms that left roads extensively flooded. Another fatal shooting took place where two people were shot, one fatally. The suspect was a non-resident who had inflicted what local news outlets called a “reign of terror” before he was captured.

“We have been battle-tested throughout this entire year,” said Police Chief Jason Wright.

In the case of the plane crash incident, a Soviet-era fighter jet crashed into a vacant field and then slid up to within four feet of an apartment building before bursting into flames. It happened during the Thunder Over Michigan air show, which happens annually at Willow Run Airport.

Two crew members on the jet were forced to eject, landing in Belleville Lake, where the Police Marine Unit picked them up. Both were taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

In that instance, Van Buren Public Safety coordinated with outside agencies, including the FAA and NTSB.

“Everything worked in everybody’s favor,” McInally said of the incident. “The crew ejected over water and the plane ended up hitting an abandoned golf course. The fire next to the apartment building was quickly put out.”

Incidentally, the apartment complex where the plane landed has been the site of three fires this year.

The Waverly on the Lake apartments are the oldest in the township. McInally said that each incident was investigated and only two were classified as suspicious. He added that the apartment complex has followed all the recommendations given them by the fire marshal during inspections, including updating/replacing smoke alarms and fire extinguishers in its buildings, and is working with the township’s building inspector. The complex is very large, comprising of 48 buildings.

Van Buren Township Public Safety also has to handle vehicular accidents and fatalities on I-94. One such incident resulted in five people getting ejected from their car, leaving one of them dead.

In the midst of all these challenges, Wright said the township is seeing increases in car thefts and the volume of stolen cars traveling through Van Buren Township.

“We’re pursuing stolen cars every week,” he said.

He noted that the thieves are more often than not juveniles from neighboring communities who are stealing cars in the area and then using them to commit other crimes. The cars most often targeted are Dodge Chargers and Challengers.

Wright said the problem has been so bad that law enforcement has actually reached out to Stellantis (formerly Chrysler), to inquire if the company could put more anti-theft devices on their vehicles.

Despite dealing with big-city crime in a rural atmosphere, there is a lot of positivity happening as well. The police department issued new body-worn cameras, which replaced the old models that are worn out.

The Police Department has also brought on a mental health clinician (see attached story) to help on those calls where a mental health professional may be needed and to provide resources.

The Public Safety Department works hard every day to ensure that the community is safe. And they recognize and are grateful that the community gives back to them in the way of overall support – from residents and the township itself.

“We’ve had a lot of support from the Township Board,” Wright said. “And the community is very supportive of public safety in general.”

McInally noted the recent Pancake Open House event, which happened during Fire Prevention Week in early October, as an example of community engagement and support.

“We had 300 people there and several donations from local businesses that helped fund the event,” he said. “All leftover money will go to the organizations that help support us, specifically the Belleville Fire Auxiliary and HART Huron Valley.”

Being in public safety is hard work. There are many stresses associated with the job. That is why it’s so important for all agencies to work together seamlessly – to ensure safety not only for the residents but for those who serve them.

“Everyone knows what they’re supposed to be doing,” Wright said.

“We’re all well trained and know what we’re responsible for,” McInally added. “I’m honored to work with some of the greatest public safety employees in the business.”

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