01-11-2021 Council Work Session Packet

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DRAFT Comprehensive Fire Service Study MEDINA, MINNESOTA Matrix Consulting Group Page 59 6 Municipal Fire Department This chapter presents the project team’s analysis of the City of Medina creating a municipal Fire Department. Three of the four fire departments are a party to contracts outside the City of Medina, this chapter focuses on the City converting the Hamel Fire Department to a municipal fire department. 1 Key Issues and Assumptions There is an overall lack of centralized management of the fire protection system in the City of Medina. • The Police Chief serves as the liaison to the Departments for management and other issues needed to ensure appropriate services are provided. • The City contracts with four fire departments and provides them with financial support. The resources to provide the service is left to the individual departments to decide. Other issues include the use of volunteer staffing. Hamel reports that 65% of their volunteer staff do not reside in Medina primarily due to the lack of starter homes and rental property. There are two ways to address the issue, first creating a municipa l fire department and second to create a fire district with numerous partners. This chapter examines the municipal fire department and the next chapter will examine the creation of a fire district. In as much as three of the four fire departments are party to contracts outside the City of Medina, a significant assumption in this assessment is the City converting the Hamel Fire Department to a municipal fire department. This assumption also coincides with the previous discussions related to the Hamel Fire Department request to become a municipal fire department.