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SOUTH OGDEN — Bunched together in southern Weber County, officials from Roy, Riverdale, South Ogden and Washington Terrace are looking into the possibility of consolidating firefighting operations via creation of a new fire district.
The consolidation debate has ebbed and flowed, notably among Riverdale, South Ogden and Washington Terrace. With much-larger Roy now interested in the possibility, leaders in the area decided to give the idea another look, and a consultant is preparing a study to help identify the pros, cons and financial viability of such change.
"Just trying to see if there's a way to save money and get just as good service," said South Ogden Mayor Russell Porter.
LRB Public Finance Advisors of Salt Lake City is handling the $13,760 study and should be done by September or October, said South Ogden City Manager Matt Dixon, when officials will decide upon next steps, if any. The consultant will delve into the notion of consolidating both firefighting and emergency medical services operations in the four cities.
The issue has been a focus of debate for "several years," Dixon said. Including Roy for the first time, though, changes the dynamics. "With Roy city involved, it changes the analysis. So, we want to relook at the district model to see if now is the time to do something like that," he said.
Several other fire districts operate in Weber and Davis counties. North View Fire District serves North Ogden, Pleasant View and Harrisville while the Weber Fire District operates in seven Weber County cities, including West Haven, and the unincorporated areas of the county. In Davis County, North Davis Fire District serves West Point, Clearfield and Sunset while South Davis Metro Fire serves Bountiful, Centerville, North Salt Lake, West Bountiful and Woods Cross.
In 2019, South Ogden and Riverdale inked a formal accord to join forces in fire protection in the wake of the prior consolidation discussion, according to the Standard-Examiner. Each department remained independent under the plan. The two cities later backed out of the agreement, though.
Broadly speaking, the idea now under consideration would entail creation of an independent fire district with taxing authority to take over firefighting and emergency medical services operations in the four Weber County cities, which sit tucked between the south end of Ogden and northern Davis County. Savings would potentially come from consolidation of administrative operations and sharing of certain specialized fire trucks, precluding the need for each department to buy costly equipment that may get limited use.
Roy Mayor Bob Dandoy, for instance, noted that the city recently acquired a $1.3 million ladder fire truck, which could conceivably be shared.
When discussed previously, individual cities would have kept the fire stations in their locales, though they would have become part of a consolidated department. South Ogden and Roy each have two fire stations while Washington Terrace and Riverdale each have one. Similarly, Porter wouldn't expect a reduction in top firefighting positions. "We're looking to maintain all the leadership we have now," he said.
At any rate, consolidation is just a possibility under discussion, by no means a done deal.
"We'd need to see some pretty significant savings," said Washington Terrace City Manager Tom Hanson. He said officials in Washington Terrace, perhaps the most reluctant of those involved, agreed to take part in the study "just to see where the numbers land." Washington Terrace has the smallest fire department of the four locales. Though firefighters receive a stipend, the department is still regarded as a volunteer force, according to Hanson.
