Jessica Mathews / news@whmi.com


Tuesday night’s meeting of the Grand Blanc Township Board of Trustees was standing room only as a show of community support for Fire Chief Jamie Jent, who was placed on leave but has since been reinstated.

Jent was appointed to the position this past April after retiring from the Dearborn Fire Department with 24 years of service.

The township superintendent Dennis Liimatta, which is similar to a manager position, placed Jent on administrative leave. That action reportedly came after Jent raised concerns about unsafe staffing levels both before and after the tragic shooting attack and fire on September 28th at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that left four people dead and eight others injured.

Tuesday’s meeting came on the one-month anniversary of the attack, and there was a moment of silence for the victims. It was also National First Responders Day.

Residents, firefighters, first responders, and others came out in force to call out the township’s leadership and board for not addressing staffing issues and public safety but also to show community support for Jent. Many commented they were disappointed with how things were handled, and that officials were more concerned with public image and would rather fire Jent than hire more firefighters. It was stated the church tragedy only exposed unsafe staffing levels that have always been there. Some residents further asserted the township disrespected both Jent and the Department following the attack, stating his response was equally as important and he was not included in any press conferences after the initial day and kept in the dark.

One Holly resident, Anna Matson, took aim to say she’s spoken with many residents the board has allowed the superintendent to operate with nearly unwielded power – too often decisions are made by him, and rubber stamped by you. Let’s remember this is the same superintendent who was fired in 2020 and then sued the township for wrongful termination, and was later rehired for dropping the lawsuit…allegedly, of course. Many people would call that extortion, and now you trust him to lead your township”.

Matson went on to say that in 2022, Liimatta made $119,000 before benefits. Now it’s $203,000 and next year, he’s requesting $215,000 – nearly a doubling of pay in three years. She commented “I’m not saying public service should make someone poor but it shouldn’t make them rich either, especially when your fire department is struggling”.

Jent himself spoke at call to the public (pictured) to remind that when he was hired he was explicit about who he is, and advocating for necessary changes. “I warned them clearly, if you don’t want someone who will push for operational improvements, do not hire me. You hired me anyway. I’ve done exactly what I said I would do. Now, I’m being told I’m not the right fit because I advocated for the very priorities outlined in your strategic plan. The 2025-2028 strategic plan that you approved explicitly identified 9-1-1 and EMS response times as a key focus area”.

Jent said the real issue emerged October 10th when he was suddenly informed of a united front requirement that he must publicly support standards and board positions regardless of professional standards or community safety. He said that requirement appears nowhere in his contract, the job posting, in interview discussions, or any written policy. Jent stated “no fire service professional with integrity would accept a position that prohibits them from identifying operation gaps that affect community safety”.

Jent commented further what sealed his fate was when the union president exercised his federally-protected right to communicate staffing concerns. Jent said the superintendent warned him to require notification before any union communications. Jent said when he explained that would violate federal labor law, he was placed on administrative leave.

The board had been expected to vote on a motion regarding Jent’s employment but it was removed from the agenda. It has since been confirmed by Supervisor Scott Bennett that Jent has been reinstated, but no further comment was given.

The township's part-time firefighter’s union has backed Jent, saying he’s done great things for the department and is being discriminated against for speaking out.

Jent is a certified Professional Emergency Manager through the Michigan State Police Emergency Management and Homeland Security Division. He also holds the Chief Fire Officer (CFO) designation from the Center for Public Safety Excellence.

The Grand Blanc Township Part-Time Firefighters - MAFF Local 1137 also earlier cited a gag order:

“Unfortunately the Township sent an email to all of our firefighters yesterday reminding everyone of the policy in place that restricts them from speaking publicly about department or township related matters. Doing so will result in disciplinary action up to and including termination. This gag order prevents our firefighters from responding to the false statements made by the township”.


The board did not have any discussion on the matter at the meeting in open session.

However, the township and deputy fire chief issued the following statement last week, which many residents also took issue with at the meeting:

Statement on behalf of Grand Blanc Township:

We are proud of the work we have done to protect our citizens and will not allow what we feel are inaccurate claims to go unanswered. Unnecessary rhetoric is upsetting residents who are already trying to recover from an unthinkable tragedy. That is not fair to our families or hard working first responders.

We can assure our residents that Grand Blanc Township first responders stand ready to answer their call for help. When you call 911, our people will be there for you, as they always have been.

We have police and fire departments that deliver excellent response times, led by Police Chief Renye and Interim Fire Chief Maricle.

Our fire department meets all necessary standards, and we have invested millions of taxpayer dollars to upgrade fire department facilities and equipment, while also giving fire fighters a 30% raise over the length of their three-year contract.

We are here to serve our residents and will continue to do so, no matter what rhetoric is being spread.

Statement from Interim Chief Maricle:

To address recent online reports claiming that staffing at Stations 1 and 2 is limited to only two firefighters per shift. Both stations are staffed with three firefighters each until midnight. From midnight to 8:00 AM, Station 2 is staffed with four personnel until Station 1 reopens.

According to NFPA 1500 and OSHA “Two-In, Two-Out,” a minimum of two firefighters must remain outside the structure while two enter during interior structural firefighting operations. Our staffing levels meet and exceed this requirement, ensuring safe operations on all calls.
To answer the question of whether we were prepared, last night both stations responded to calls, supplemented by part-time firefighters, totaling 22 personnel. During the same period, an additional possible structure fire was handled with a GBTFD crew of 5, and Burton Station 1 was requested for mutual aid. This demonstrates that our staffing and response capabilities were fully sufficient to handle multiple simultaneous emergencies.

Staffing at both stations will continue to be a priority to meet operational needs and ensure the safety of both personnel and the public.

Kent Maricle
Grand Blanc Township Deputy Chief


Supervisor Bennett stated at the very beginning of the meeting that in two weeks at the next regular board meeting there will be a full presentation to discuss current operations of the department and other potential models.

A link to the township website is provided, and the meeting can be viewed on the township’s YouTube channel. A link to the union’s Facebook page is also provided.