- By Dan Veaner
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The Star caught up with Spencer at last Tuesday's Fire Commissioners meeting. She talked about her involvement in the volunteer fire department, and the roots she and her husband James have in both the department and the community. Our exclusive interview is reproduced in full below.
Last year another uncontested race in which Jeffrey Walters was elected cost only yielded 30 voters. That election cost taxpayers between $500 and $1,000, but treasurer George Gesslein says that the district is required to hold an election even where there is only one candidate. While low voter turnout is not unexpected, the polling places will be open from from 4 pm to 9 pm Tuesday.
Lansing Star: Why are you running for Fire Commissioner?
Kimberly Spencer: I've been contemplating it for a couple of years, and decided it was something I was interested in doing. Actually a couple of current commissioners came to me and asked if I would be interested and had given it some thought.
I am currently a staff member of the fire department.
LS: You're the secretary, aren't you?
KS: Yes, I am the secretary. I wanted a larger role in the department, but not as a fire fighter. My husband James has been a fire fighter here for 21 years. We both went to Lansing schools, have a family here. Our kids go to Lansing schools, and we have a stake in the community just like everybody else does. I've seen both sides, being a citizen and in the department.
It's something that interests me, and I want a larger role in what happens.
LS: Will you continue as secretary at the same time?
KS: Ironically I'm up for election as secretary on Thursday. I have an opponent in that election, so I may not win.
LS: What do you see as the big challenges for the department and for the district in the next year?
KS: The ongoing controversy is whether or not to build a new station in the Village. And whether or not we should get a paid administrator or a paid chief. That's a big topic.
Lansing is growing so fast, and getting exponentially bigger and bigger. We're trying to respond with the same level of service, especially during the day when everybody's working. I don't know if people realize that the structure is the same anywhere there's a volunteer organization. And Lansing's response time is quite fast.
And we have a great EMS squad, and we're getting new members every single month. We're doing ITP training right now for four members that we voted in last month. And we see husbands and wives joining together now. And we see kids that are 18 joining, and we're seeing people that are 50 coming back now after they've raised their family and maybe taking a break.
We're growing and growing and the firer department's growing, trying to match up the community's needs with department needs and figuring out how to pay for it all without raising taxes.
LS: How do you stand on those two things, the new firehouse and a paid chief?
KS: I'm learning more and more every day. My husband was an assistant chief for a number of years, and I know the workload. And as secretary I know the workload at the administrative levels in any department. With someone holding down a job and then doing this -- it's a 40 hour a week job, but you're doing it on a volunteer basis. So I think it seriously has to be looked at, because we're growing so fast.
I don't know what the right answer is, whether it be an administrator, a chief, or not at all.
As for the station: that area is just so big. Now we're adding a new hotel and we just did that Triphammer Road construction, and the mall and the airport. And our response time has to be a split second -- it's going to make such a big difference. That station (the current station on Oakcrest Road) is not what it needs to be to meet the needs of the community right now.
LS: I've heard over 50% of the calls in Lansing come from the Village.
KS: Yes, from the Village. And those are our calls.
LS: The airport has its own department, doesn't it?
KS: Yes, but we also go to calls there if there's a major incident. They have their own fire fighters there as well. Actually two of our volunteer fighters here are paid fire fighters there.
LS: What else should people know about your candidacy?
KS: Vote for me? (laughs) I'm from here. I didn't move here for 20 minutes and plan on changing everything. I was born and raised here, I have a stake in the community. I'm not leaving. My heart is in it.