Monroe fire districts explore merging operations

Monroe Fire District 3 and District 7 in Clearview have been discussing a potential fire district merger.

District 7 Assistant Chief Eric Andrews is a strong advocate for consolidation of fire services.

"A Fire District 3 and Fire District 7 merger will provide the same service level for less cost,GÇ¥ said Andrews, who also serves as the fire chief of District 26 in Gold Bar. "It will eliminate duplication and use all personnel and resources in a more efficient manner.GÇ¥

Andrews gave a comprehensive presentation to both District 7 and District 3 fire commissioners on Monday, Aug. 17, asking them to consider consolidation efforts culminating in a total merger. Andrews provided logistical data on what a consolidation and merger could look like, while Monroe District 3 Fire Chief Jamie Silva zeroed in on the financial aspects of moving toward consolidated operations.

Ultimately, a decision to merge would be up to the voters. Should the fire commissioners vote to move forward with a formal merger, the item would be placed on a ballot ' possibly as early as next August.

Early glimpses into what a merger would entail were based on the assumption that District 3 would be the merging agency. If the merger were to take place, District 3 would take on District 7's taxation, and only District 3 voters would need to participate in a vote.

This would result in a lower tax rate for residents of District 3. Currently, District 3's total tax rate is $2.48 per $1,000 of assessed value and District 7's total tax rate is $1.96 per $1,000 of assessed value.

Timing is an issue for District 3, as it will need to renew its maintenance and operations levy in 2016. Without a merger in place, the MO levy will be necessary for the department to maintain its current level of service. Although commissioners have not yet agreed to a merger, District 3 administrators have theorized that the MO levy could be placed on a later ballot. That way, if the merger measure occurred on the August 2016 ballot, the MO levy could be added to the November ballot as a safeguard in case the merger didn't pass.

Once the merger discussion started, administration at each department assessed departmental strengths, weaknesses and overall needs. Throughout the process, they identified gaps that could be filled more effectively through combined resources and strategic reorganization. Whereas one agency might not have quite the workload to justify a full-time position, that same workload could be adjusted if the position were to support both agencies.

A human resources administrator is one example of a position that could be shared by both District 3 and District 7. Andrews said while District 7 has definite plans to hire a dedicated human resources professional to deal with things like employment laws and staffing issues, administrators had some reservations whether the workload justified the hire.

A joint position could help ensure sufficient workload. District 3 has no designated human resources staff; those duties are typically distributed among other administrative staff.

A Public Education and Information Officer (PIO) is another position that could be shared by both departments. Neither agency currently has one; Monroe eliminated the position in 2009 as a way of reducing costs, and District 7's PIO recently resigned.

"We think that position is also an excellent fit and will augment both agencies,GÇ¥ Andrews said.

Additionally, there are opportunities for reorganization that could serve to enhance both agencies, said Andrews. Both districts currently have an operations chief, but neither have a support services chief.

District 7's support services chief position was eliminated as a cost saving measure, and District 3 uses its operations chief to fulfil the duties of a support services chief.

Transitioning an assistant chief-level position into the support services chief role serving both agencies would help accomplish a more even distribution of workload, Andrews said.

Both agencies could benefit from a designated Geographic Information System (GIS) administrator. District 7 currently does not have one, and District 3's GIS expert, Elsa Sexton, is also responsible for accounting duties. Shifting Sexton's accounting workload to District 7's accounting staff would allow her to dedicate her time to GIS work, benefitting both departments.

"GIS is an invaluable technological tool for the fire service,GÇ¥ Sexton said. "It can be used to create detailed maps, which improve situational awareness for our crews and for spatial analysis of data.GÇ¥

Additionally, GIS study disseminates information comprehensively in order to mitigate risks and increase fire department efficiency. District 3 sent Sexton to GIS classes at Everett Community College to learn more about the field of study.-á

"I really enjoy producing maps, and even more so I appreciate the data behind the map itself,GÇ¥ Sexton said. "It's very personally rewarding to be able to serve my community by providing a graphic representation of our data and helping identify changes that can make our response more effective.GÇ¥

With or without a merger, GIS and the new Community Resource Paramedic (CRP) program are ways that the two departments are seeking to enhance services through collaboration. The CRP program initiated in July involves a partnership between District 3, District 7 and District 8 in Lake Stevens.-á

During his initial consolidation presentation, Andrews asked commissioners whether they were interested in moving forward or ceasing discussion. He gave an overview of what each department looks like currently, and provided a snapshot of what the organization would look after a full merger.-á

District 3 covers 55 square miles including the city of Monroe, which was annexed as part of the district in 2006. The district employs 56 full-time personnel and 12 part-time personnel, who operate a total two fire stations. District 3 firefighters responded to 3,430 emergency calls in 2014 and serve approximately 30,000 residents. An average of 10 firefighters are on duty each day; seven at Station 31 on Village Way and three at Station 32, near Wagner Lake.-á

The total assessed value of District 3 is $2.94 billion. District 3 has a contract with the Monroe Correctional Complex and District 5 in Sultan, which relies on District 3 for Advanced Life Support (ALS) services.

District 7 covers 52 square miles including the city of Mill Creek, which is under a contractual agreement with the district. The district employs 103 full-time personnel, who operate six fire stations. District 7 firefighters responded to more than 6,000 emergency calls in 2014, and serve approximately 77,000 residents. A total of 22 firefighters are on duty each day.

The total assessed value of District 7 is $11.14 billion. In addition to its contract with Mill Creek, which is currently under negotiation, the district has a contract with Brightwater Wastewater Treatment plant.

Should the two organizations merge, 32 firefighters would be on duty each day. The organizational structure would include one fire chief and three assistant chiefs for support services, operations and administration. One possible scenario features District 7 Chief Gary Meek serving as the fire chief, with Chief Silva and assistant chiefs Steve Guptill and Andrews rounding out the upper tier of administrative staff.-á

"Our vision is to create an organization that is superior in its delivery of emergency services at a cost that is consistent with public support,GÇ¥ Andrews said.

Other potential benefits include cost savings through consolidation of attorney services, IT services and fewer labor union contract negotiations. The local unions for both District 3 and 7 are on board with the concept, already voting affirmatively to combine and form one union.

Overall, commissioners were interested in further consideration.

"I think that we move forward,GÇ¥ said District 7 Commissioner Shauna Willner. "This was a very compelling presentation.GÇ¥

During upcoming weeks, commissioners from both agencies will work to analyze the pros and cons of a merger.