Commission, fire officials discuss consolidation

BENTON, Mo. -- The Scott County Commission took time to hear from some of the county's fire chiefs regarding consolidation during their regular meeting Tuesday.

"We're pro consolidation," Scott County Presiding Commissioner Jamie Burger said of the Scott County Commission which includes himself, First District Commissioner Dennis Ziegenhorn and Second District Commissioner Donnie Keifer.

On Tuesday officials with Scott County Rural Fire and NBC (New Hamburg-Benton-Commerce) RFPD met with the commissioners to discuss their plans for a 911 consolidation.

"We were told you were considering moving the 911 center, and you have had some meetings with some other counties," said Shawna Schmitt, fire chief of NBC Fire. "I guess maybe you were getting thoughts across somewhat in that, and we would just like to be involved in this and see what's going on."

Burger said the county's recent resurgence of the discussion about 911 consolidation stemmed from the commissioners being at a county commissioners' Workforce Investment Board meeting in Cape Girardeau.

"St. Francois and Ste. Genevieve County Commissions were there, and they've been doing this (consolidation of 911 systems) since 2010," Burger said. "Ste. Genevieve County has been very pleased with what St. Francois County has provided so we're just been looking into consolidation. Nothing is firm or final -- or anything."

Burger said he brought the issue up at last week's county commission meeting so the public and county employees would know the commission was exploring the idea of a consolidation.

"We had one meeting with New Madrid City, and New Madrid County was there, mainly to talk about the consolidation that New Madrid County did with New Madrid City," Burger said. "Afterward, New Madrid City told us they'd like to have Scott County since they're updating their center and bought this new Air Bus equipment."

And that's the extent of exploration the commissioners have done so far, Burger said.

Scott County also received an email from Cape County which is combining its services with the city of Jackson, Burger said.

"I've been trying to do this for 10 years," Ziegenhorn said. "I've worked on this hard for 10 years and I thought I was close several times with (former Sikeston DPS director) Drew Juden and (former Scott County Sheriff) Rick Walter to come together with Sikeston -- and the whole reason is for money and efficiency."

The first district commissioner also noted the county commissions across the state had meetings with AT&T nearly two years ago to discuss consolidations, which according to the commissioners, are inevitable.

"We're going to have to consolidate," Ziegenhorn said. "We can't continue to pay the money we pay -- all the taxpayers' money we pay -- and for the number of people we cover."

He wondered how bigger cities like New York, Memphis and St. Louis can have one 911 system when Scott County can't.

"Scott County has three 911s (Scott City, Sikeston and Scott County) which is ridiculous," Ziegenhorn said. "Somewhere in this high-tech world we live in, there's got to be a way we can consolidate."

Legislators may some day pass a sales tax on cell phones, but that doesn't seem to be in the near future, the officials said.

Consolidation is going to happen, Ziegenhorn said.

"I personally don't care to consolidate," said Jeremy Perrien, chief of Rural Scott County Fire and Rescue. "I personally would like to see it stay in the county and those become one, if possible. That's just my opinion but, more so, I would like more communication."

The intention of consolidation is to improve efficiency in services, Burger said.

"Our intention with the first meeting was if we get further along, and if it's something we think is acceptable to Scott County, then we would include all the players as we move into the technical part of it -- parts that we don't know," Burger told the fire officials. "Now if we had an initial meeting and it's s so far out there that we can't afford it and we can't look any further, what would be the need to bring everybody in there?"

The initial meeting is more about getting to know the facts and seeing if a consolidations is even feasible, Burger said.

"We go to Cape County and they say it would be $750,000, we say 'thanks guys. We appreciate your time.' If they say it's less than what you're spending today and guarantee this, then we would look into it more," Burger said.

To have that initial meeting with all of the county's players in the 911 system would be unnecessary, Burger said.

Perrien said that's where he disagrees.

"I think it should be us doing the research," Perrien told the Commission.

Burger said he thinks Perrien and the other fire officials have the ability on their own to do research and bring those comments to the commission.

"I don't have any problem with you researching and letting us know what they relay to you," Burger told Perrien.

Perrien said he would like for for the commissioners to tell them the problems and for the fire officials to do the research and then come back to the commission with their information and recommendations.

Burger said the commissioners have watched St. Francois and Ste. Genevieve counties for a long time to see if they had any fallout with their sheriff's offices or commissioners, etc., from the consolidation.

"They seem to be very, very satisfied and it is working," Burger said.

A consolidation would link the communications systems, the commissioners said.

Among the fire officials' concerns were they want to ensure whoever Scott County consolidates with has radio equipment that is compatible with theirs, that they can precisely map calls and that all staff are educated on the equipment.

The commissioners insisted they care about the safety of the county's residents, and there would be time for training and a learning curve. Human error is something that will always be there, they said.

"If it would fail to support the fire department, we wouldn't do it. It's as simple as that," Burger said.

He also told the fire officials the commission appreciates what they do.

"We had no intention of leaving you out there, but we had to have an initial meeting to see if it was even feasible," Burger said.

Ziegenhorn and Keifer agreed.

"Long story short, we would appreciate being in this loop," said Roger Manwaring, communications operator with Scott County Rural Fire.

Burger said they would be.

"If we get to a point where we feel like it's feasible, affordable and can improve our service, at that point in time, we'll get down to the nuts and bolts with you," Burger said.