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Crime & Safety

Report: Merging the Millburn and Summit Fire Departments Is Feasible

Just-released study explores the pros and cons of expanding the range of fire services shared by the two communities.

Could the fire departments of Millburn and be merged into one? On March 21, officials from the neighboring communities heard the findings of a study conducted by Emergency Services Consulting International during a meeting at Lawton C. Johnson Summit Middle School. No decision was made–in fact, none is expected for quite some time–but it appears such a move could be on the horizon.

ECSI's 209-page Shared Fire Services Feasibility Study, highlights of which were presented by consultant Phil Kouwe, shows that both municipalities have many things in common, among them, population, department response time, and staffing levels. These similarities make a number of collaborative strategies–including a merging of their fire departments–highly feasible. The report also noted that Summit and Millburn already enjoy a longtime cooperative partnership that began in 1899, and now includes an automatic aid agreement, a shared dispatch facility, and joint training for firefighters.

The two communities have discussed the possibility of expanding shared services for the past two or three years, said Millburn Fire Chief Michael Roberts.

“We wanted to take a proactive approach,” he said, noting that the talks became serious a year ago because "the economy tanked much sooner than we expected."

The move also was motivated, in part, by a fear of losing some measure of civic autonomy. Summit Councilman and former Millburn Mayor Michael Vernotico shared a concern "that we could have pressure from the state to merge along county lines. That’s the last thing I want to see, to be fenced back into our own counties.”

Hence the study: Oregon-based consulting firm ESCI was hired to investigate the matter at a cost of $48,870, which was split equally between Millburn and Summit.

In his presentation, Kouwe shared a number of strategies for cooperative service projects ranging from merely sharing specific departmental functions to fully consolidating both fire departments into one unit. He pointed out that cutting costs was not necessarily the goal, and the study showed that through reallocating resources, both Summit and Millburn could enjoy improved emergency services for about the same amount of money spent now. He also noted that a merger could result in personnel changes, wherein the number of firefighters might be increased from the current 48 to 56 while the number of mid-level managers could be cut, potentially through attrition.

Kouwe also shared that merging the two departments into one district-wide brigade could carry a possibly unpopular side effect: The move would create a new level of government, one that would have to be funded through property taxes. Presently the two communities are free to fund their individual fire departments using a variety of revenue sources.

Whatever the project's perceived merits, area firefighters' unions will be part of the ongoing discussion. Bruce Pollock, president of Millburn's Firemen's Mutual Benevolent Association Local #32, said his group would consider the pros and cons involved carefully, adding that its shared-services committee faces a great deal of work in the future. Louis Vecchia, president of Summit's FMBA Local #54, concurred and expressed regret that the meeting marked the unions' first opportunity to see the study's findings.  

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Millburn's Chief Roberts thanked the unions for their involvement and reminded those assembled that no decisions have been made.

“This is a huge step," he said. "We’re not doing it in haste and there are no foregone conclusions.”

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Summit Fire Chief Joseph Houck praised the towns' current cooperative relationship, calling it one that is "envied around the state." He underscored that change–if any–would happen slowly and over time and reassured the audience that the governing bodies of both towns would take as much time as needed to debate and discuss the possibilities separately and then together.

"No one will flip a switch over the next couple of days or months," he said.

That comfort may have been intended for the rank and file, for the many Millburn and Summit firefighters in attendance. When asked for an opinion about a possible merger after the meeting’s end, most of the firemen avoided the question entirely. One member of Summit’s department did reply when queried, but his response was a terse one: “We’ll see.”

Officials at the gathering included the respective mayors of Summit and Millburn, Jordan Glatt and Sandra Haimoff; members of the Millburn Township Council and the Summit Common Council; Summit City Administrator Christopher Cotter;  and Township of Millburn Administrator Timothy Gordon.

Those interested can read the full report for themselves. The document will be available in its entirety on both the Millburn and Summit municipal websites.

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