The City of Fitchburg would face a “significantly higher” cost to run a combined fire and EMS department, according to a “rough estimate” provided to the Council Jan. 8. Finance director Misty Dodge compiled the numbers at the request of Mayor Jason Gonzalez following a study and Council discussion on the topic last year. She stressed her calculations were a “ballpark” and based on conversations with fire chief Joe Pulvermacher and Fitch-Rona EMS chief Patrick Anderson. The city would pay about $515,000 more in annual operating costs than it currently does for the service, bringing that cost to $1.17 million, and $21,000 more in annual capital costs for a total of $113,000.