PROVO — Utah County officials hope to have sufficient information by the end of summer to determine whether the formation of several fire districts is a better firefighting option than continuing the current system of individual community-based departments, many of which are volunteer agencies.
Utah County Commissioners this week contracted with an Illinois consulting firm to conduct a feasibility study for the fire-department consolidation idea.
The study will be done by the Chicago-based PAR Group for $28,500. Consultants also will inventory firefighting resources throughout the county as part of the report. The report is due Aug. 1.
Officials want the group to assess the practicality of combining resources and equipment owned by the various cities into three fire districts. The districts could resemble the Lone Peak Public Safety District that now services Alpine, Highland and Cedar Hills.
Then, it will be up to the commission and mayors of 23 communities to determine what's best for the region.
Commissioner Jerry Grover has previously suggested that one district be formed for such West Desert communities as Eagle Mountain, Fairfield and Cedar Fort, another for the Provo-Orem area and third for south Utah County.
"Districts make sense," Grover said. "It would take away any sense of territorialism and benefit everyone. Decisions as to who responds to a fire would be based on distance and accessibility rather than on city boundary lines."
Problems arise when city fire chiefs and mayors look at the consolidation proposal as a threat to local control of services.
Springville Fire Chief Bill Whitney said he would need specific information before he could formulate an opinion.
"I'd really be interested in what they're going to propose," Whitney said.
Grover said communities could likely cut costs by sharing the burden. With a lot of cities and towns contributing, new equipment could be purchased without a heavy tax bite.
"There would not need to be a new tax levy created. Taxpayers wouldn't be paying any more," Grover said. "We would just be reallocating the money already going to the individual cities to the districts."
Grover said the county is paying for the study but does not intend to force countywide participation or agreement.
"The county will not dominate or force anything on anyone."
Grover said cities would need to decide what's best for their fire-suppression efforts, whether it be to join in a district or adjust an interlocal agreement to provide better coverage.
"We certainly recognize every city's autonomy," Grover said. "There's nothing going on behind the scenes."