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Parker Fire, South Metro agree to merger

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Contributed by: Joseph Kirchmer/YourHub.com on 4/25/2008

The boards of directors for Parker Fire Protection District and South Metro Fire Rescue approved an agreement April 24 that will allow the two agencies to fully consolidate their operations.

The newly created Parker-South Metro Fire Rescue Authority will oversee both fire districts and help fully merge their operations by 2011, though it may take longer. The fire authority will be led by Parker Fire Chief Dan Qualman.

The consolidation is expected to savethe districts $60 million, according to Becky O'Guin with the Parker Fire District. Much of the savings will come as a result of having to build four fewer stations in the future, she said.

Currently, South Metro operates 10 stations while Parker Fire operates six stations, O'Guin said. The merger is expected to improve planning for future station locations, which could help cut down on response time, she said.

Furthermore, the consolidation is expected to save money in areas such as training, administration, purchasing and hiring, she said.

"The residents, though, should not see any change in service," O'Guin said. "We are hoping the merger will be seamless from a service perspective."

The two districts already share a border and assist one another often with calls, Qualman said. The Parker Fire District already provides fleet maintenance services to South Metro and Parker joined with South Metro in a new dispatch authority, Qualman said.

"We think it makes sense to look for ways to improve the quality of our service and for ways to provide service in a more cost effective manner that over time may save our residents money," he said.

The new fire authority, which is made up of a seven-member board of directors, will oversee the two districts beginning May 1. The board members are expected to be elected in coming weeks.

All in all, the merged districts now will cover 176 square miles in Arapahoe and Douglas counties, which includes Parker, Greenwood Village, Cherry Hills Village, Lone Tree, Castle Pines North, Foxfield and parts of Centennial.

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