By Jennifer Eisenbart
Editor
Change is never easy.
All parties involved with the now-completed “cooperation” study between the City of Burlington and Town of Burlington fire departments – and the Burlington Area Rescue Squad – acknowledge that.
And it’s acknowledged in the study itself. McGrath Consulting Group turned in its final report in the last two weeks, and City of Burlington Common Council members got their copies Nov. 18.
It is the source behind the suggestion of first responders being formed among City of Burlington Fire Department members, and also the source – it is hoped – of a path for working together in the coming years.
“It is hopeful that this report will become a book of opportunities for the new Fire Chief to consider,” the report stated.
Two hundred and seventy five pages long, the report covers everything from training time – which could and should be joint at times – to human resources suggestions for documentation and recordkeeping are covered.
But perhaps most important to the study is the perceived hard feelings that exist among the three organizations.
“The more closely the three departments work together, the group that benefits the most are the citizens and visitors of the great Burlington area – those needing the service,” the report states. “There are copious opportunities to improve emergency services and save money in Burlington, but there needs to be a willingness to move beyond some historical roadblocks, held closely to the heart of some of those who govern; and a general feeling of autonomy by many department members.”
Or in simplest possible terms, in order for everyone – members, citizens and government alike – to get the best result, some of the traditional boundaries may have to be reconsidered.
No one is expecting that to be an easy process.
“I think that was a known quantity going into the study,” City of Burlington Mayor Bob Miller said. As for working past it?
“Lots of dialogue,” he said. Miller liked one particular phrase in the study: “Combining efforts will improve services, but it will take individuals to focus on the windshield (future) instead of the rearview mirror (past).”
Miller said, “I think that is very apropos, given what this study is and what needs to be done.”
Town of Burlington Fire Chief Ed Umnus agrees.
“There’s definitely some good suggestions in there,” Umnus said. “I think we just need to look at what is going to be the right thing to do, and what is going to be the best thing to do, for the community as a whole.
“There’s probably going to be some hard feelings, but what’s the best thing to do and what’s the right thing to do? And that’s what we have to do,” he added.
Umnus and City Fire Chief Perry Howard have already made changes – ones that went into motion before the study was even completed, but are still mentioned in the final report. Those include paperwork changes such as universal applications, as well as secure places to put medical histories and changing some policies that Howard said all area organizations have on record.
Also, dispatching duties that were being handled at the city fire station have been shifted to the City of Burlington police department – a specific item pointed out as an immediate priority.
Howard added that there were no “preset or predetermined agendas” when he came in as fire chief in June, and the study should be viewed about how to best serve the community.
“This is about the community, and how we can serve the community better,” Howard said.
City Administrator Kevin Lahner echoed the sentiment of teamwork when talking about the study.
“The entire core to what we’re doing here is that to the benefit of the community, the three organization have to work together,” Lahner said. “Across all levels.”
And judging by some of the comments made by rescue squad members, cooperation is welcome.
“What happened in the past needs to stay in the past,” said Rescue Squad member Beth Vrchota. “We need to move forward. We’re all excited about working together.”
The study also noted something everyone agreed on: cooperation on emergency scenes is already there.
Now it’s just taking the next step forward. To that end, Lahner reminded everyone that, for most, exposure to the emergency services is a “snapshot in time,” and that while it can be hard to evaluate service then, the study has gone in-depth to show that what people see can be better.
“Our hope is that we break down barriers, we improve communication, and we improve service,” said Lahner. “And that we work together
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