Public safety agencies in the Magic Valley are relying more heavily on a valuable tool: each other.
The Twin Falls Fire Department, Police Department, and Sheriff’s Office are putting a new emphasis on inter-agency collaboration, city officials say.
It’s largely a development born of necessity. Twin Falls is an increasingly popular destination for visitors from around the south-central Idaho region and elsewhere seeking outdoor and indoor recreation opportunities. But the city itself isn’t actually growing that quickly: The average rate of population growth in recent years has been just under 2 percent, a much lower rate than the city saw a decade ago.
The heads of these agencies say they don’t have the intention — or the resources — to hire new staff en masse anytime soon. Instead, to deal with the natural uptick in calls that comes with population growth, they’re making the most of what they have by finding new ways to work with their neighbors.