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Friendly fire fighting planned
By Jen Scherer
Daily News staff writer
City, town eye expanding agreement for mutual fire aid
The city and town of Beloit are considering expanding their automatic mutual aid agreement to provide faster fire response.
The move would add to the scenarios or locations where both departments send help automatically whenever a call for service is made. This could result is faster response time.
The prospect is something that has been under discussion for a number of years, but is recently taking a more decisive turn, Town of Beloit Administrator Robert Museus said.
"It's an effort to better serve the public's needs," Museus said. "If our station is across the street from city property it kind of makes sense that our department would respond."
He said the same thing would apply in the reverse.
City of Beloit Deputy Chief Bryan Northrop explained the discussions are about expanding the enhanced automatic mutual aid agreement for engine response. The agreement would add to the number of locations where an engine from both the town and city would respond simultaneously to a certain location.
He explained the city often responds with an engine to certain large facilities in the town, like schools or large apartment complexes.
This type of agreement is different from the standard mutual aid agreement where engine or ambulance assistance is dispatched after a need is determined, Northrop said.
For the most part, Museus said the city would provide automatic service to some additional parts of the town on the east side of the river, while the town would pick up service for some city property on the west side of the river.
Because of the way the boundaries between the municipalities zig zag, this move will allow faster service if the town is closer to city property or vice versa.
"We are in the process where the proposal has gone to the board, (and) the board has indicated that it's a good idea," Museus said.
He said paperwork spelling out an agreement is being drafted.
"I would expect something to occur probably in the near future," Museus said.
Assistant City Manager Steve Gregg said the city is always happy to talk to the town about mutual aid service. He did not immediately have further details about these discussions.
Neither town Fire Chief Dennis Ahrens or city Fire Chief Brad Liggett was available for comment.
After Joe Holomy resigned as town fire chief, Dr. Richard Barney, who oversees the paramedic program for the city and the EMS program for the town, suggested the two look at a merger. Both programs operate under his medical license and he is also is an emergency medical specialist with Beloit Memorial Hospital.
Barney suggested the move would provide a higher level of service for medical care, as the city staffs paramedics, while providing faster service because jurisdictional lines would not matter.
At the time, both the city and town were interested in a discussion but recognized that a lot of details would need to be worked out.
The city and town of Beloit are considering expanding their automatic mutual aid agreement to provide faster fire response.
The move would add to the scenarios or locations where both departments send help automatically whenever a call for service is made. This could result is faster response time.
The prospect is something that has been under discussion for a number of years, but is recently taking a more decisive turn, Town of Beloit Administrator Robert Museus said.
"It's an effort to better serve the public's needs," Museus said. "If our station is across the street from city property it kind of makes sense that our department would respond."
He said the same thing would apply in the reverse.
City of Beloit Deputy Chief Bryan Northrop explained the discussions are about expanding the enhanced automatic mutual aid agreement for engine response. The agreement would add to the number of locations where an engine from both the town and city would respond simultaneously to a certain location.
He explained the city often responds with an engine to certain large facilities in the town, like schools or large apartment complexes.
This type of agreement is different from the standard mutual aid agreement where engine or ambulance assistance is dispatched after a need is determined, Northrop said.
For the most part, Museus said the city would provide automatic service to some additional parts of the town on the east side of the river, while the town would pick up service for some city property on the west side of the river.
Because of the way the boundaries between the municipalities zig zag, this move will allow faster service if the town is closer to city property or vice versa.
"We are in the process where the proposal has gone to the board, (and) the board has indicated that it's a good idea," Museus said.
He said paperwork spelling out an agreement is being drafted.
"I would expect something to occur probably in the near future," Museus said.
Assistant City Manager Steve Gregg said the city is always happy to talk to the town about mutual aid service. He did not immediately have further details about these discussions.
Neither town Fire Chief Dennis Ahrens or city Fire Chief Brad Liggett was available for comment.
After Joe Holomy resigned as town fire chief, Dr. Richard Barney, who oversees the paramedic program for the city and the EMS program for the town, suggested the two look at a merger. Both programs operate under his medical license and he is also is an emergency medical specialist with Beloit Memorial Hospital.
Barney suggested the move would provide a higher level of service for medical care, as the city staffs paramedics, while providing faster service because jurisdictional lines would not matter.
At the time, both the city and town were interested in a discussion but recognized that a lot of details would need to be worked out.
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