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Montgomery County Emergency Services Districts (ESDs) # 5 and # 9 inter-local agreement is working great.

FROM CHIEF FLANNELY

 

In October 2012 ESD #5 and #9 Board of Commissioners decided to enter into an inter-local agreement for several reasons. This inter-local agreement was to help each district provide a better service to the residents of both communities by using one (1) Fire Chief for both paid and volunteer Fire Departments. Even though it would appear there would be a savings by splitting the cost for a Fire Chief and other positions, those savings were put into hiring more firefighters for the districts. The Commissioners gave me the authority to hire more firefighters, use equipment where it was needed, rotate firefighters in both fire departments, stop the duplication of apparatus, set a higher standard for both paid / volunteer firefighters, provide more and better training and several other things we need to do to provide that level of service needed for our residents. This level of service allows us to staff the community with 9 Firefighter during the day and 13 at night with a Battalion Chief 24 hours per day seven days per week, something that neither community could afford prior to this agreement.

In the last 18 months since the start of the inter-local agreement we have made outstanding improvements for both districts fire departments. The Central Montgomery County Fire / Rescue and Caney Creek Fire / Rescue paid and volunteer firefighters now work better together as a team, we all have the same rules and standards, these firefighters no longer look at themselves as two different departments. We have stopped the duplication of gear and equipment since we operate as one big department which becomes a savings to each district, these savings is used for necessities that are needed. Our Fire Commissioners from both districts is a big part of the progress; they are working together as a team for the current and future progress of the fire departments for both districts. As the Fire Chief for both districts I am looking forward to the future progress of both districts, it makes things much easier when you have Commissioners and Fire Departments on both sides that communicate very well and have the same ideas for the residents in the community.

Raymond Flannelly

Fire Chief

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