Trump rally has Michigan officials worried about building safety, road conditions

Fire department officials in Washington Township — where former President Donald Trump will speak to supporters Saturday night — are scrambling to ensure the safety of the event that could potentially draw thousands.

"I do not want to allow it," said Rob Schmelzer, the township’s assistant fire chief and fire marshal. "I have nothing against the past president. This has to do with the venue."

Schmelzer and Washington Township Fire Chief Brian Tyrell said the rally falls outside the approved use of the Michigan Stars Sports Center space where the event will be held.

Tyrell said he is working with event organizers, Secret Service and the Macomb County Sheriff’s Office, and added that off-duty officers will be on-site to provide fire protection and emergency medical services.

"We’re still early in the planning, believe it or not, even though we’re only a few days out," he said. "This came upon us very quickly, and we’re just going to do our best to plan for the worst case scenario."

More: Trump putting his prestige on line with Macomb County rally

More: Donald Trump heading to Michigan to rally for GOP election deniers DePerno, Karamo

Trump’s visit Saturday marks his first to Michigan since 2020 when he spoke in Grand Rapids on the eve of the election. He is coming to boost support for two Michigan candidates he has endorsed — Matt DePerno for attorney general and Kristina Karamo for secretary of state. The Michigan GOP will convene in late April to endorse candidates for statewide office ahead of this year’s November election.

DePerno and Karamo have both embraced Trump’s lie that the election was stolen and their campaigns have divided Republicans on whether they are the best candidates to try to unseat the Democratic incumbents: Attorney General Dana Nessel and Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson.

Schmelzer and Tyrell both said that they don’t have a good picture of how many people will show up Saturday and whether the number attending might exceed a safe limit.

Tyrell said that Schmelzer established a safe occupant load of 5,760 when Trump held a rally indoors at the same venue in 2018. That was above the normal occupancy limit based on the township’s fire code. Tyrell cited "dividers and multipliers in the fire code" that look at the width of exits and allow for a larger capacity limit.

Schmelzer said he’s not sure what the limit is this time because he said he hasn’t seen a floor plan for Saturday’s event. A one-time exemption was made for the last indoor Trump rally there but the building was never supposed to be used for an event like Saturday's, Schmelzer said.

Township Treasurer Mike Nicley said he spoke with a representative from the Secret Service last week who said that as many as 10,000 people are expected to attend Saturday's rally.

But without knowing exactly how many people will show up, Schmelzer said that he couldn’t say whether the event will be safe.

Tyrell said he didn’t want "to fear-monger or lead anyone to believe that the building is unsafe," but noted that the department is "just stretching" the capacity limit. "Clearly, a political rally or fundraiser, while exciting for the community, does not verbatim align with the approved use."

Schmelzer said that a citation could be issued to the building’s owner if the event exceeds the safe limit.

In an email, DePerno downplayed concerns about the event site, suggesting it was a "false narrative" contrived by Democrats in an effort to get the "fake news" to report on it.

The parking situation Saturday could also create challenges for those attending the rally.

Nicley said he was the lone vote against a Board of Trustees agreement Monday to allow those attending to park on township-owned farmland. At the end of the night, Nicley said, there's "going to be a mad dash" to get out that could leave drivers stuck in the mud, spinning their wheels. He also raised concerns that access for emergency crews might be impeded.

Nicley said he supports the event and plans to attend.

"This is just not the right venue," he said.

Staff writer Dave Boucher contributed to this report.

Clara Hendrickson fact-checks Michigan issues and politics as a corps member with Report for America, an initiative of The GroundTruth Project. Make a tax-deductible contribution to support her work at bit.ly/freepRFA. Contact her at chendrickson@freepress.com or 313-296-5743. Follow her on Twitter @clarajanehen.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Trump rally in Michigan has fire officials scrambling