- April 25, 2024
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City Commissioner Kim Carney wants Flagler Beach to merge its fire department with the county’s for two reasons: First, she said the city will save money through consolidation. Her second reason is more personal.
Her brother was at concert in Massachusetts in August 2000 when he collapsed. The city where the concert was held did not have adequate emergency services, both in regard to response time and to medical equipment. As a result, he died. Shortly after, the city reexamined its emergency services department.
“I worry that this is going to look like a numbers thing, but it’s not just about numbers,” Carney said at a Tuesday meeting of the Flagler Beach City Commission. "It's about safety and service."
Carney said Flagler Beach would not only save money by consolidating its fire department, but it also would increase its level of service to residents. Flagler County Fire Rescue members are all dual certified as firefighters and paramedics.
Carney proposed a meeting between Flagler Beach and Flagler County administrators and fire chiefs, but her response was met with resistance. Her motion to do so was dropped without a second.
Ultimately, the commission decided it will ask questions about its fire department or about a potential merger and send them to Bruce Campbell, the city’s manager. Campbell will then do the appropriate research needed to answer the questions. That research will not necessarily mean a meeting with the county. Commissioners have until May 23 to submit their questions.
Flagler Beach has an Insurance Services Office rating of five, Carney said in a presentation she made to commissioners. The number assesses the quality of emergency services in a given city and is passed to insurance companies. Individuals who live in area with higher ratings pay higher insurance premiums. Flagler County as a whole is rated three and Palm Coast is rated four, Carney said.
She also said replacing old equipment is a cost that will escalate with time. Finally, she criticized the inefficiency of having separate agencies when both respond to calls. The duplication of services and administrators is not cost-effective, she said.
The city's decision to ask questions is meant to demystify the topic after a meeting shrouded in unanswered questions and conflicting numbers. Carney said she does not know the precise implications of merging with Flagler County, but that the option needs to be examined.
Other commissioners said that residents have not indicated to them a desire to consolidate services and worried about ceding control of the fire department to the county. They questioned whether a merger would bring initial cost savings that later grew or if there would always be a fire truck on the barrier island in case a hurricane or other weather event shut down the bridge.
“I’ve not had one phone call from one tax payer asking me to investigate, inquire, anything,” Commissioner Joy McGrew said. “I’m not in favor of doing anything with our fire department aside from allowing it to exist and grow. … If the rest of this community were not willing to pay more, we would have heard from them.”
Since the city commission has not even began its budget workshops yet, Commissioner Steve Settle said, considering the merger was premature. If the commission finds it needs to make cuts to its budget, it should examine the fire department; otherwise, it should be left alone. He said after the meeting that having a locally-operated department provides benefits that go beyond its cost.
He also said that Campbell has been working to cut money from the fire department’s budget, so there might not be as great a cost savings as some suggested.
Many members of the Flagler Beach Fire Department attended the meeting. Some spoke about the service and camaraderie that comes from a localized fire department, including Robert Pace, who is acting fire chief after Martin Roberts was fired for responding to calls while under the influence of alcohol. Felony charges were filed against Pace in April for tampering with evidence. He also faces misdemeanor charges of resisting an officer without violence.
Carney said her desire to examine the fire department does not have anything to do with the agency’s administrative woes, but instead with cost and service issues.
