Allen County officials have scheduled public hearings as the next step to creating a single county-wide fire and EMS district.
Last May, the Center for Excellence in Systems Engineering at Purdue Fort Wayne presented a plan for the integration of a unified county-wide fire district.
A fire district is a separate entity with its own board, budget and taxing authority.
This district would combine all Allen County’s participating fire districts and fire territories together, serving unincorporated areas such as townships, as well as smaller towns.
Officials believe combining Allen County’s current fire services into one district would enhance accountability and provide proper training and support for firefighters and EMS crews.
Toward the end of the unification process, the Allen County Commissioners will need to amend ordinances which created the original districts and combine them into one.
The following fire services are a part of the unification process so far:
- Northeast Allen County Fire Protection District
- Northwest Allen County Fire Protection District
- West Central Allen County Fire Protection District
- Southwest Allen County Fire Protection District
- City of Woodburn
- City of New Haven
- Maumee Township
- Milan Township
- Jefferson Township
- Adams Township
The public hearings will be held:
- 10 a.m. Monday in the Appleseed Room at the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum
- 1p.m. March 2 in the Appleseed Room at the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum
- 6 p.m. March 9 in the Appleseed Room at the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum
