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Firefighting consolidation makes sense

The dwindling number of volunteer firefighters is being triggered in large part because of the expense of training efforts. More and more departments that formerly were staffed with only volunteers now are converting to part-volunteer, part-paid. Regional efforts may be the best answer to keeping rural fire departments staffed and ready.

Likewise, discussions to create more local fire districts — like the one being kicked around in Girard and Liberty — is a logical answer. Equal stations, equal firefighters, but fewer managers would guarantee response time and safety remains the same, while costs would fall.

Girard and Liberty have been in talks about a merger since late December, when officials from both communities met with an attorney for him to begin researching what it would take to make the combination happen. But while there’s interest from some leaders, they must first find money for a legal review of the proposal, said Liberty Trustee Jason Rubin.

The cost is in the ballpark of $40,000.

The up-front cost is insignificant, though, in terms of the amount of money being spent on operations of the two departments and the potential savings that could come from a merger.

Liberty Township Administrator Pat Ungaro said consolidation and regionalization help keep costs down. He pointed to an example in the township — before it joined the Trumbull County 911 Center for police dispatching, the township paid $320,000 a year for the service. But now at the 911 center in Howland, the cost is $60,000.

The department in Girard has 13 firefighters with a budget of $1.4 million compared to Liberty, which has 15 firefighters and a $2.2 million budget.

A committee of representatives from both communities would be created to run the district, Ungaro said.

His township first began holding consolidation meetings about four years ago.

Girard Mayor James Melfi said interest in the idea of combining Girard and Liberty was raised by city council, which asked him to do some further exploration. He acknowledged that his examination of the idea is still very preliminary.

Ungaro sees now as the right time to act. We agree.

Savings triggered by regionalization is a good answer. It’s even better if response time can be maintained, with a reduction in duplication of equipment and less management expense.

editorial@tribtoday.com

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