The Allen County Commissioners and County Council asked for a plan on the development of a unified county-wide fire district.
On Friday, they heard the plan, presented by Purdue Fort Wayne’s Center of Excellence in Systems Engineering.
There are currently four fire districts and one fire territory providing unified response to fire and medical emergencies in Allen County. There are also two independent volunteer fire departments.
In Indiana, fire territories are collaborative agreements between existing jurisdictions, such as townships to provide fire services. A fire district has more flexibility and different funding mechanisms.
According to the report, consolidating all of it into one unified fire district outside of the City of Fort Wayne would allow for a better allocation of resources for both fire and emergency medical service responses.
There would be additional cost savings, increased staffing levels and equipment would be placed where it is best suited based on maps of current run volumes.
Friday’s report was informal and no action was taken, according to a release from Allen County government.