Feb. 08--In an unannounced presentation to the York City Council, Mayor Kim Bracey appeared alongside two representatives of a suburban fire department Tuesday to urge open mindedness as talks continue about a potential future merger of fire services.
More than a dozen city firefighters, including union president Fred DeSantis, filed into the meeting shortly before it began, but none spoke publicly.
Bracey has in recent months expressed interest in partnering with other fire departments as a way of streamlining efficiency and rescuing the cash-strapped city from skyrocketing costs. She initiated conversations late last year with York Area United Fire and Rescue, which formed in 2008 with the merger of departments in Springettsbury and Spring Garden townships.
With the city firefighters' union contract set to expire Dec. 31, "The time is right to have this conversation," Bracey told the council Tuesday.
Bracey pledged to keep the issue at the forefront. While "nothing is cast in stone," she said, city officials should explore the idea in the interest of fiscal prudence.
City officials have been trying to rein in the fire department's costs in recent years. A new scheduling system implemented last year was designed to cut down on overtime costs, and three firefighter positions were eliminated through attrition in the 2012 budget.
The goal of York Area United is "to continue to erase municipal boundaries where it makes sense," said Bill Schenck, chairman of the Springettsbury Township Board of Supervisors.
Coordinating fire services over a larger area can save money without impacting quality of service, Schenck said. He said York Area United is "open to negotiate" with the city.
An arrangement could be anything from a full merger to an enhanced mutual aid agreement, Schenck said.
Conversations are continuing with a closer look at each department's budget, Bracey said.
DeSantis, the union president, said during an interview that he is skeptical of the merger idea if it means fewer firefighters, stations or equipment within city limits. Spreading resources over a larger area might save money, but it could also increase response times, DeSantis said.
That's a uniquely troubling problem for urban areas, where a fire can quickly consume a block of row homes, he said.
"We cannot afford to lose anything out of the city. It's just that simple," DeSantis said. "We cannot gamble with lives."
- Reach Erin James at 505-5439 or [email protected] or on Twitter @ydcity.
Copyright 2012 - The York Dispatch, Pa.
