City leaders are weighing combining local fire and emergency medical services, but some officials said the move would not reduce expenses.
Louisville Metro Council’s budget committee discussed the idea Wednesday. “I'm hearing from experts from the fire community, including the union frankly, who say this is the best practice,” said Councilman Anthony Piagentini, R-19. “And, it stands to maintain the same level of service but increase efficiency and save the city millions of dollars potentially.”
However, Louisville Metro Chief Financial Officer Daniel Frockt said the city would not save money unless firefighters switched to 12-hour shifts, “which is not statutorily where Fire is.” Fire Chief Greg Frederick said a switch to 12-hour shifts would require the department to hire more people, which would offset the savings.