July 5, 2026
Brothers and Sisters:
I hope you all had a safe holiday as we celebrated our nation’s 250th birthday. Michigan Summer is in full swing. As we try to pack vacations and family time in as much as we can during our short summer months, we still have important issues that I wanted to update you on.
Legislation HB5232 -5233
We were successful in passing our military bills. We brought these ideas to Rep. Koleszar and Rep. Robinson just over a year ago. With their help, our members’ advocacy, and countless hours of work behind the scenes, our bills were passed. Once again, Senator Hertel was pivotal in making this a success. His work in the Senate to get this done after a 20-hour session proves why he is one of our closest friends.
Military Bills 5232 and 5233 have the potential to significantly enhance the support available to our members who serve in the military reserves. These bills allow our reservists to maintain their employer-provided pay and benefits while on leave for up to 26 days each year. Please see the attached fact sheet.
Health Screenings
Additionally, I am pleased to announce that our health screenings are set to go live. The 3.5 million budget ask in 2024 took an extended time to negotiate with DHHS, but career firefighters will be getting these screenings. We took our time to make sure our members would have the opportunity to get screenings in accordance with what we successfully advocated for. A detailed flyer is attached for BIO-CARE and NDS, outlining the specifics. It is essential that union leadership work with administration to schedule these physicals as soon as possible. Delays could hinder our members from accessing these important health services. These will be covered under the 3.5 million. Again. Please schedule these ASAP to ensure your members will be covered under the 3.5 million. Coordination with administration is important to accommodate the mobile units from BIO-CARE.
FY 2027 Budget
I’d like to recognize the efforts of our lobbyist, Melissa McKinley, who worked throughout the night during the recent budget negotiations to keep us updated. The Fiscal Year 2027 budget has been finalized and includes several significant allocations that will impact the fire service. Notably, $1,044,000 has been earmarked for first responder mental health initiatives at Frontline Strong, which will support police officers, firefighters, EMS personnel, and their families. Funding for firefighter training (training council) and hazardous materials safety inspections, underground storage (State Fire Marshal office) has been increased by $509,000. Some programs, such as Urban Search and Rescue and the Smoke Detector program, faced cuts as part of budgetary adjustments aimed at addressing a $1.2 billion shortfall. Statutory revenue sharing was unchanged.
As we navigate the changes, and work to keep our issues relevant, your continued support and engagement are more important than ever. Our staffing bills are still sitting in the House. We have not given up on these as they are still our priority issue. With elections forthcoming, we will be sharing the endorsement list after reviewing questionnaires submitted. Stay safe, and I’ll be in touch soon.
Fraternally,
Matthew Sahr, President
Michigan Professional Fire Fighters Union
