Cities enter joint-fire management services agreement

The fire departments for the cities of Encinitas, Solana Beach and Del Mar along with the Rancho Santa Fe Fire Protection District announced the signing of a Joint-Fire Management Services Agreement on Monday.

Through this cooperative agreement, Encinitas will provide operational oversight for Del Mar’s emergency services including day-to-day management of fire department operations, training, support services and fire prevention support.

As Solana Beach has permanent staff that performs fire department operations and fire prevention support, Encinitas would provide day-to-day management of training and support services. Rancho Santa Fe will provide Battalion Chief coverage for Encinitas, Del Mar and Solana Beach.

Benefits of this unique cooperative agreement include enhanced supervisory effectiveness, increased communication with emergency personnel and improved chief officer response times. Battalion Chiefs working 24-hour shifts will be available to supervise personnel, resolve operational issues and make budgetary decisions promptly.

This cooperative agreement between neighboring fire departments is historic and will have long-term benefits for all agencies. It provides a financial benefit, a means to reduce redundancy, improve efficiency and develop consistent policies and procedures leading to greater interoperability.