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DRAFT Comprehensive Fire Service Study MEDINA, MINNESOTA <br /> <br />Matrix Consulting Group Page 2 <br />discussions raised several issues for further discussion and at this point the City of <br />Medina has three options to provide fire protection services. <br /> <br />Option 1 – Continue with Contract Fire Protection <br /> <br />While this option remains viable for the delivery of fire services, the City of Medina is in a <br />precarious position should one or more of the current fire departments dissolve or decide <br />not to provide services. The City does not fully own any of the apparatus or stations or <br />employ any staff to provide fire protection services. The project team does not <br />recommend continuing this form of fire protection. However, in continuing this form of fire <br />protection, the City should take steps to protect itself should one or more of the fire <br />departments terminate their contract or become incapable of providing service. Further, <br />the City should provide overall management of the fire protection system for the City to <br />ensure the services are provided in the City’s best interest. <br /> <br />Option 2 – Municipal Fire Department <br /> <br />In this option, the City would absorb the Hamel Fire Department and create a municipal <br />fire department. This would provide the City of Medina with control of their fire protection <br />system. Based on the terms of termination within the contracts with Long Lake Fire <br />Department, Loretto Fire Department, and Maple Plain Fire Department , it will take two <br />to three years to fully terminate those contracts. This will allow time for the City to fully <br />implement a new Medina Fire Department. In creating this new department, new <br />employees would be added to the City of Medina and additional workloads for human <br />resources, finance and information technology would need to be addressed. The <br />additional employees would likely create other issues involving the Affordable Care Act <br />(ACA) and the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA). Other issues for the City could include <br />increases in workers compensation rates and property casualty insurance rates. These <br />rate increases would likely be across the board for the City and not just the fire <br />department. Additionally, the City would need to build a new fire station that is more <br />centrally located to provide an appropriate level of service to the residents of the City, as <br />the Hamel Fire Department station is not appropriately located to ensure timely response <br />times across the City. The project team does not recommend the City absorb the Hamel <br />Fire Department to create their fire department. <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />Option 3 – Joint Powers Agreement <br />