NBC29Is Fire Consolidation Too Expensive?

Is Fire Consolidation Too Expensive?

Reported by David Douglas
April 27, 2007    

Merging city and county fire departments seemed like a logical idea. The thinking was: combine services, reduce duplication, make everyone safer and save money. The latter, saving money, is where the idea fell apart.

Turns out, merging the Charlottesville and Albemarle departments would create huge expenses beyond putting logos on the doors of fire trucks. Added personnel costs would top over $600,000. That's just not money anyone wants to have to spend.       

"Our number one recommendation is that they not at this point consolidate, but they continue to coordinate with one another," said Bill Gay of Matrix Consulting. 

The two departments do a good job working together without being together.  

"Albemarle and Charlottesville do a lot together, and we're proud of that, and we just want to take it a little step further," explained Chief Dan Eggleston with Albemarle Fire Department.

Those steps could create a stronger partnership, including more joint training efforts, but that's where the joint part ends. More ambulances are needed according to the fire consolidation study, but they shouldn't come from CARS.   

"The study did recommend the city fire department did staff an ambulance," revealed Charlottesville Fire Chief Charles Werner.    

Two-and-a-half more county ambulances to serve the urban parts of Albemarle are also listed in the study. "If you get the ambulance position closer to where the calls are, the quicker the response can be made," explained Werner.    

What happens next is up to the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors and the Charlottesville City Council to decide. 

But if you're still unconvinced a merge would make for more expenses, here's part of the reason why:  

Currently, a lot of career fire fighters also spend their spare time volunteering. If the merge was made, to comply with federal labor laws, they would have to be paid for all of that time.