Report Prepared by: Casey Wilson, Interim Fire Chief, Scott McBride City Manager
Title
SUBJECT: Report Regarding Potential Fire Services and Emergency Operations Coordination Between the City of Merced and Merced County Including Mutual Aid, Automatic Aid Agreement, and Service Agreement Options
REPORT IN BRIEF
Provide an update to City Council regarding potential aid agreements or service agreement between the City of Merced and Merced County.
RECOMMENDATION
For Information only.
Body
DISCUSSION
Cities and counties often utilize agreements to render reciprocal or supplemental assistance in the event of fire or other fire department related emergencies. The most common agreement types are automatic aid, mutual aid, and service contracts.
The agreement types describe their function.
Mutual Aid - assistance agreement between jurisdictions to provide services upon request on a case-by-case basis.
Auto Aid - assistance automatically by contractual agreement between two communities to emergency incident.
Service Contracts - one jurisdiction assumes all service needs for a defined area.
Merced County has expressed interest in an automatic aid agreement with the city. Agencies throughout California and other states utilize various types of service agreements. Staff is providing an update to council regarding discussions with Merced County.
In April of 2024 Merced County reached out to discuss aid agreements for fire and EMS response to the Merced County area generally located North and Northeast of the City of Merced.
In May of 2024 we provided council an update regarding the request and discussed the impacted area and provided the call for service data of the impacted area.
The discussion of a reciprocal automatic aid agreement where Merced County would respond to calls for service in the area around Station 81 on Martin Luther King and the City of Merced would respond to calls for service North and Northeast of the City of Merced. This concept was not supported.
Additional discussions regarding a service agreement where Merced County would provide compensation to recover cost for fire and EMS service in the North and Northeast of the City of Merced was generally supported. Council direction was to continue conversations with Merced County and bring options back options for council consideration.
IMPACT ON CITY RESOURCES
None at this time.
ATTACHMENTS
1. 5/6/2024 Presentation
2. 12/9/2024 Presentation