Sandpoint taking fire merger plan for test drive
SANDPOINT — For fire protection personnel, a joint powers agreement is a test run for a permanent fire district merger.
The operational agreement, approved unanimously by Sandpoint council members Wednesday, will unify management of Sagle Fire District and Sandpoint Fire Department under a single umbrella. If all goes well, the agreement could pave the way for a proposal to unify the two entities into a single fire district following voter approval. The terms of the agreement will last until Sept. 30, at which point it can be renewed.
“This is a trial, and if it is a success, we can take the next step and make it permanent,” said Sandpoint and Sagle fire chief Ron Stocking.
If the decision this summer to split Stocking’s time and salary costs between Sandpoint Fire Department and Sagle Fire District was the alpha testing for a single fire district, the joint operations agreement moves the process into beta testing. The two service providers have already become accustomed over a half-year to a unified command structure. Now the two entities will focus on aligning training practices and eliminating redundancies.
Should the districts decide to combine into a single entity, the voters will approve or deny the proposal during an election cycle. According to Sandpoint City Attorney Scot Campbell, this could occur as early as next year, but it largely depends on how Stocking and his fire crews feel the cooperation is progressing.
According to Stocking, splitting his salary and benefits cost is one major cost savings that Sandpoint and Sagle already enjoy. According to documents considered by council members before they approved the time-sharing arrangement, the city saves about $4,212 each month by billing Sagle Fire District for half his salary and benefits costs.
More efficiencies will be realized once Sandpoint and Sagle align their training practices and change some procedures, Stocking added. For one thing, volunteers are now more efficiently managed and staffing stations more consistently. For another, fire crews now respond to emergency situations with a better allocation of equipment, meaning fewer resources are tied up if another call comes in at the same time. While Stocking couldn’t put a precise dollar figure on the total cost savings at this point, they’ll be collecting that data to present to the public should the fire districts decide to pursue a permanent merger.
Sandpoint and Sagle fire operations will be guided administratively by a board consisting of two officials from each district plus a citizen member approved by the board. This body will make decisions on protocol, standards and budget recommendations.
Stocking also said the arrangement shouldn’t impact their relationship with Bonner County EMS. If anything, they intend to strengthen their relationship as the departments settle in to joint operations.
As for the firefighters themselves, Stocking said they support the joint operations agreement, and many from Sagle and Sandpoint turned out to show their approval. A new collective bargaining agreement with the firefighter’s union will need to be worked out, but otherwise, they’re excited about the partnership’s possibilities, Stocking said.