Shaker Fire Chief in Wait-and-See Mode Regarding UH Merger

Like most residents in their communities, the fire chiefs of and University Heights are waiting to see the logistics of a possible fire department merger.

Information on how a merger would affect stations, trucks, jobs and finances will be available when Emergency Services Consulting International completes a some time this summer.

"Anytime that government or fire service can deliver safety better, more efficiently, it's incumbent on department officials to evaluate it," Shaker Heights Fire Chief Kevin Jacobs said. "That's what this study is."

University Heights Fire Chief David Rodney felt it was too premature to comment on a merger, but he awaits the study's results.

The Cleveland Foundation gave the cities a $40,000 grant to help cover the cost for North Carolina-based ESCI's $50,000 study. University Heights Mayor Susan Infeld said. The Cleveland Foundation mandated that the cities use $25,000  toward the study, while the remainder should be spent on implementation costs resulting from the study's conclusions. The cities agreed to split the remaining half based on population size. Shaker will pay $17,000 and University Heights will pay $8,000.

"We do a lot of things together right now — automatic aid and, certainly, mutual aid," Jacobs said. "As long as it's not going to impact our residents, you have to take a look at it.

"Nobody wants to pay more."
 
Officials from both cities aren't ready to say they need a merger, but they recognize that it could make a lot of sense and save some money. Shaker's Station Two is just one mile from the University Heights Fire Department. Also, a preliminary study from ESCI showed that it would take four minutes to travel anywhere within the two cities' services from any of the three stations.

"We're waiting for (ESCI) to say 'yes, we can,' or maybe it's going to be like a cafeteria plan that you only apply certain things.

"In the state of this economy, I think it's really incumbent on us to be fiscally responsible and take a look and see if we can do better."

Want to view the preliminary feasibility study of the potential fire merger? Just click on the PDF icon and read away.