I was one of hundreds that came through here on SAFER grants between 2013 and 2020. The entire place is built on a house of cards. Grants, millages for each ambulance, and municipal contracts between the city of Pontiac and Waterford township are all that keeps the FD afloat. Two complete opposite municipalities fire services were combined in 2012 and it was bad from day one. All former Pontiac firefighters were treated like second class citizens. They either weren’t hired, or were forced to beg for a job. Original Waterford firefighters took every promotion for themselves and have lived with such shame about it that they will never be effective officers. Anyone with seniority is desperate to make it to an engine company in Pontiac where they do a few calls a day and relive their glory days of when Pontiac actually had fires. Less senior medics are destined to work the Rescues in Waterford while taking more and more calls in Pontiac because the private EMS company is trash and cannot handle the call volume. Most of the department is cliques and they hate each other. In union meetings people will sit according to their group and the union can’t agree on anything that benefits the body. Both Waterford and Pontiac cry about being broke even though there is always money for things not related to the FD. The stations are terrible cancer pits with no plans to improve them. The FD is an echo chamber of egos with no one actually modeling good behavior. Multiple incidents of sexual predators and domestic violence have occurred and were actively covered up by crooked and selfish administration over the years. If you stand up, they will bury you. Somehow, I was proud to work here for many years. I was proud, but it literally ruined me. I thought it would get better with time. It won’t be better until all original Waterford and Pontiac fire employees are retired. Now that I’m gone I feel bad for the few brothers that are stuck and cannot move on. Everyone is either looking for an exit strategy by going elsewhere or working on a personal business. There is no brotherhood here. If you like doing all the heavy lifting as a young medic, or you like to lick the administration’s boots then maybe you will do well here. Otherwise, look anywhere else.