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Camas-Washougal fire merger endorsed

Consultant says trial consolidation could enhance services

By Ray Legendre
Published: May 20, 2011, 12:00am

A proposed six-month merger of the Camas and Washougal fire departments received a “green light” this week from a Vancouver-based private consultant whose financial assessment of the move showed it would have little discernible economic impact on the agencies.

Paul Lewis concluded consolidation could “enhance service delivery with minimal increase in staffing expenses” and would likely lower overtime costs. But he cautioned, “Cost savings are difficult to estimate.”

Lewis shared his report with Camas and Washougal fire officials during a closed-door meeting Tuesday at the Washougal fire station on 1400 A St.

“It passed the threshold test,” Camas City Administrator Lloyd Halverson said, referring to the merger. Lewis’ findings — while neither glowing nor dour — ensured the cities would stick to their merger plans, Halverson added.

Earlier this week, Washougal council members approved a temporary merger between the fire departments as part of a proposal designed to drastically reduce a $310,000 deficit to the EMS system used by Camas, Washougal and East County Fire & Rescue.

Declining tax revenues resulted in the shortage, officials said.

As part of a decades-old agreement, the Camas Fire Department provides paramedic services to residents in Camas and Washougal, plus those living in the East County Fire & Rescue district in parts of unincorporated Clark County. Residents pay a property tax for these services.

The Camas and Washougal fire departments are hoping to merge beginning July 1, government and fire department officials said, thus giving them six months to weigh the practical benefits of a permanent consolidation.

“This is like taking the midterm test before getting to the final one,” Washougal Mayor Sean Guard said of having the temporary merger before making a decision on a permanent partnership.

Before the temporary merger can happen, the departments have to sign off on terms of the agreement. Contracts won’t change, Guard said, but “firefighters and fire trucks may be in different places than they normally are.”

Merger savings mentioned in Lewis’ report were “not as much as we had hoped for,” said Ron Schumacher, Washougal’s fire chief.

“It doesn’t make the EMS system (deficit) go away,” Schumacher said, “but it doesn’t exacerbate it, either.”

Because it won’t result in a greater shortage, Lewis gave it the “green light,” Schumacher noted.

The partnership is likely to pay dividends in other areas, officials said.

Schumacher predicted the merger would result in “better utilization of our current resources.”

Camas and Washougal will share firefighters, paramedics, captains and battalion chiefs on a trial basis. The partnership is expected to result in savings of $115,808, according to fire officials.

In order to reduce the EMS system deficit, Washougal will provide one firefighter/IV technician for one of three ambulance shifts and the ambulance is stationed at Station 171 in downtown Washougal. Washougal will also transfer $95,000 to the EMS fund.

Schumacher’s role under the proposed merger would be the same as his current duties — to manage the Washougal fire department. Meanwhile, soon-to-be Camas Fire Chief Nick Swinhart would do the same for his department.

Camas announced last week it had hired Swinhart, the Watertown, S.D., fire chief, as its next fire department head. Swinhart will replace acting Fire Chief Monte Brachmann July 5, city officials said.

Ray Legendre: 360-735-4517, ray.legendre@columbian.com//www.twitter.com/col_smallcities.

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