County considering consolidating fire districts

The Bourbon County Commissioners are taking steps to solve problems of disunity among some of the rural fire departments.

At the request of the commissioners, Will Wallis, Bourbon County Emergency Manager, researched the possibility of consolidating the rural fire districts in the county.

"They came to me first and asked me what I thought about the possibility of unifying a county-wide fire district program," Wallis told the Tribune. "I would not have agreed to pursue a county-wide (consolidation plan) at all if I knew that it wouldn't be positive."

Wallis said he began a conversation with Linn County Emergency Management Coordinator Doug Bartlett via email for details of how that county provides fire protection.

"Linn County has a county-wide fire department," Wallis said. "My question to him, is there anything negative?"

Bartlett said he could see no negative consequences for a consolidated county-wide fire district.

Wallis then Bartlett asked what benefits there are.

Wallis met periodically with the commissioners in executive session to tell them what he learned, he said.

In the last executive session, Oct. 6, Wallis gave a written proposal of consolidation to the commissioners, he said.

"The commissioners, all three, have buy-in," Wallis said.

Wallis' recommendations

Consolidated training

There will be a "collective, equal, quantified, documented, justified and substantial training for all departments in a unified setting," the proposal states.

This will start to lower the Insurance Services Office and Public Protection Ratings.

"Linn County lowered their rating from eight, nine, or 10 out of 10 rating to a five out of 10 rating," he wrote in the proposal to the commission.

"You've got to be within five miles of a fire department to start dropping your insurance ratings," Wallis said.

Grant

A combined county-wide fire department would be positioned for more funding, such as the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFE) grant. This would allow more paid, fully qualified, experienced staff placed in areas in the county far from current emergency services, he said.

"Our objective is this, apply for the SAFE grant for the whole county," Wallis said. "We can save money, but still cover the county as far as fire departments. Initially start to save money so we can afford to pay staff that would come alongside Delwin (Mumbower, Bourbon County Fire District No. 3 chief) and also be deployed to places like Uniontown, which is a long way from an actual, physical... paid staff that has EMT capabilities."

"The SAFE grant pays 100 percent of the wages of staff the first year," Wallis said. "It's a four or five-year program."

Wallis noted he has not looked at all the details of the grant.

"When the grant runs out, we would be obligated to continue to pay the health (insurance) and salary of all the paid staff," he said. To get to that point, the first thing we have to do is unify the county. That's number one."