A report by the Public Policy Forum says Cudahy, South Milwaukee and St. Francis could realize significant equipment and other cost savings if the communities consolidated fire services.The forum produced three scenarios regarding fire service consolidation at the request of mayors in each of the communities.
Forum President Rob Henken says, "Each of the three cities would save more than $1.7 million in vehicle replacement costs over the next seven years because of the ability to shrink the size of the collective vehicle fleet."
The analysis claims a consolidated South Shore fire department could improve the quality of firefighter/EMS training, reduce dispatch times and enhance advanced life support services.
However, minimum staffing levels in two of three scenarios studied by the Public Policy Forum may reduce current firefighting capacity.