MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP - The Meridian Township Board held their second virtual meeting on Tuesday, April 14th due to the on-going COVID-19 crisis and Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s “Stay Home, Stay Safe" executive order, which has been extended to April 30th.

The Supervisor and Board members, along with staff, participated from remote locations with Meridian Township Fire Chief Mike Hamel to introduce the the new full-time firefighter Kelsi Gemalsky, who was introduced to the Township Board as a part-time paramedic/firefighter back in the Fall on November 5th.

Kelsi Gemalsky is a graduate from Lansing Catholic High School and was the one who reached out to Fire Chief Hamel back in Spring of 2019, after she completed a new program that the fire department had introduced at that time due to shortage of paramedics/firefighters across the country. Chief Hamel worked with LCC (Lansing Community College), as well as their contacts, to draw out some paramedics that we can send to the fire academy to try to get them on board with what the fire service actually provides.

Hamel says, “We sent her to the academy for fire training and traditionally hire someone who has both skills. She started the program in October and completed it at the end of March, and has been a great addition as a part-timer with us and now that she’s completed the program, we have a vacancy open and would like to start her full-time.”

Due to social distancing, Gemalsky will be sworn in at another date and time.