Several cities on the Monterey Peninsula are looking into the possibility of merging management of their fire departments.
What's being considered expands the concept of mutual aid up to the management level. Rather than Monterey, Carmel and Pacific Grove having their own fire chiefs and training officers, the three cities would share one chief and one training officer.
"We're not looking at should we reduce firefighters or close stations. This is really a study to look at is there a way of combining management overhead into a single department," Monterey City Manager Fred Meurer said.
Since November, Andrew Miller has served as fire chief of Pacific Grove and Carmel. Miller and an assistant chief administer the departments as if they were two stations.
"Carmel and Pacific Grove have been involved for the last six months with a contract with each other where Pacific Grove provides all the fire administrative services, which is a win win for both sites," Miller said.
A feasibility study will look at what efficiencies might be achieved by merging fire department management, such as cutting overhead while still maintaining services.
It's a different kind of mutual aid moving up the management ladder.
"When it comes down to it at the scene of an event, engine companies from other cities come to the scene, they need to work seamlessly together," Miller said.
The Monterey City Council start looking at funding a feasibility study at its meeting next week.
The Pacific Grove City Council is already on board with the idea. Carmel has yet to consider it.
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