Pacific Grove and Monterey Fire Merger to be Voted on Today

A merger of the Pacific Grove Fire Department with Monterey’s will be voted on today by the Monterey City Council.

Under the agreement, Monterey would provide fire and emergency medical services to Pacific Grove starting Dec. 16 for a five-year trial period.

The merger is the culmination of joint discussions and planning since early 2005 and supported by a fire services consolidation feasibility analysis conducted in 2007 by Citygate Associates LLC.

The merger has enjoyed unanimous support from firefighters from both departments, as well as neighboring cities, which may eventually become members of a single regional fire department.

Under terms of the agreement, existing Pacific Grove firefighters will become city of Monterey employees, and Monterey will provide fire and emergency medical services to Pacific Grove by contract.

Pacific Grove would reimburse Monterey for all actual direct and indirect costs incurred in providing contract fire and emergency medical services.

The proposed agreement will maintain existing services in Pacific Grove, Fire Chief Andy Miller told the Pacific Grove City Council last week, and will add enhanced operational flexibility, depth of resources and administrative support for both cities.

Proponents say it will enable both cities to deliver fire services and related emergency services more effectively and economically as a single organization rather than as separate departments.

The combined department would staff five engines daily at four stations, including the Pacific Grove station on Pine Avenue — which, along with its equipment, would be leased to Monterey — and offer specialized services such as marine fire and rescue, urban search and rescue, and hazardous-material response.

A total of 67 employees would operate under a unified command and administrative organizational structure based in Monterey.