Alpena Township fire chief will not renew contract; last day is Nov. 30
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ALPENA - Alpena Township Fire Chief Tim Baker will leave the department Nov. 30 after telling trustees he will not seek another term; a decision he said is based only on family needs and not on contract talks with the township.
The Alpena Township Board of Trustees voted unanimously Monday to accept Baker's letter of non-renewal. Trustees also approved a motion to begin advertising for his successor.
Baker, hired from the Lansing area and sworn in Dec. 1, 2024, was in the first fire chief's job of his career. Trustees approved a two-year contract that included language for renewals and a starting salary of $85,000. He replaced Mark Hansen, who also chose not to extend his contract when it expired in September 2024.
"After careful consideration, I have decided not to seek a renewal of my contract as fire chief," Baker said. "This decision is based solely on personal reasons and the need to dedicate more time and focus to my family. It has truly been a privilege to serve the Alpena Township community over the past two years."
Township Supervisor Abbi Kaszubowski said the board will move quickly but carefully to fill the post.
"Chief Baker has notified the township that he will not be renewing his contract upon its expiration," Kaszubowski said. "The township appreciates Chief Baker's service to the community and wishes him well in his future endeavors."
Baker said renewal talks started about two months ago and that he warned trustees then he might not stay.
"Discussions about the renewal process began with the township board approximately two months ago," he said. "At that time, I indicated there was a possibility I might not pursue another term. I later provided formal notice within the timeframe required by my contract."
He said the bargaining itself did not drive him out. Trustees, he said, were discussing terms that would have been more favorable, not less.
"The contract discussions themselves were not a factor in my decision," Baker said. "In fact, the conversations involved potential language supporting annual pay increases and a longer-term agreement."
The departure comes after a stretch in which the department has cycled through resignations, retirements, slow hiring and tight budgets while covering two stations. Full-time staffing dropped at points in late 2025 and early 2026 after firefighters left for other jobs or retired.
The department at one stage planned a partial brownout at the northside station on U.S. 23, then canceled it after full-time staff, paid-on-call members and Baker covered the shift. Trustees later approved new hires and, in June with a 4-3 vote to raise the department's medical license from medical first responder to basic life support.
Baker said those years left a strain that the next chief and the board will have to repair.
"As many residents are aware, the fire department, its staff, the board of trustees, and the community has faced stressful circumstances in recent years," he said. "One of the most important elements moving forward is strengthening those relationships. Continued trust and collaboration between the department, the board, and the citizens is essential for the long-term health and safety of the community."
On operations, Baker was blunt. He has told trustees for months that the department's goal is six full-time firefighter/EMTs plus a chief, backed by a larger paid-on-call roster. Recruiting those on-call members has been difficult because of training hours, time away from home and pay, he has said. Even with recent hiring, he said the way the township staffs the department of calls remains unsafe.
"From an operational standpoint, the current staffing model is not safe or sustainable," Baker said. "Responding with only one firefighter from a station, or deploying apparatus with a single responder, presents significant risks. I have worked to make progress toward increasing staffing levels, but funding remains the central challenge."
That funding fight predates Baker. Voters rejected fire millage increases twice in 2022. The existing 1.4953-mill fire levy, set in 2018, runs through the end of 2027. Trustees have tabled both a "remove and replace" millage near 3.475 mills and a special-assessment option while they study how to pay for personnel, apparatus and two-station coverage. In March, the board used fund balance and a general-fund surplus to close a projected fire deficit of nearly $300,000 rather than cut public-safety spending.
Baker said residents need to treat that gap as a safety issue, not only a budget line.
"Residents should understand that providing a safe and effective fire department comes with real costs," he said. "The funding models that worked 20 to 30 years ago do not meet the needs of 2026 and beyond. Ensuring adequate resources will be critical for the department's future."
Kaszubowski said the search will focus on someone who can hold the department together through that debate.
"The Township will follow a thoughtful and transparent process to identify the next leader of our fire department," she said. "Our priority is selecting a qualified individual who will support our firefighters, maintain strong emergency services and serve the long-term needs of the Township and its residents."
Baker, an Air Force veteran and former training chief at Lansing Community College's regional fire training center, also spent years as a structural firefighter and earlier fought wildfires with the U.S. Forest Service. During his township tenure he pressed for more full-time and paid-on-call staffing, shift-coverage pay for on-call members, the BLS license change and a long-term funding plan. He has not said whether he will remain in the Alpena area after Nov. 30.
"I remain deeply grateful for the support of the community and for the dedication of our firefighters and staff," Baker said. "It has been an honor to serve."
The board has not named an interim chief. Advertising for the permanent post will begin under the motion approved Monday. Baker's last scheduled day is Nov. 30.