Carlisle and Franklin Twp. will consider an agreement with the Joint Emergency Services board to have a study done about their services and whether they should combine.
JEMS Chief Andy Riddiough said if the entities approve, the Ohio Fire Chiefs Association will evaluate each department and answer questions including whether they should combine services.
The study would cost about $18,000. If they proceed with the study, the cost would be divided by the three entities, Riddiough said. JEMS provides EMS services in Franklin Twp., outside the city of Franklin, and employs part-timers. The Carlisle and Franklin Twp. fire departments are volunteer operations. There have been multiple discussions and studies over the years about merging Franklin Twp., Carlisle, JEMS and Franklin operations. However, increased costs for a joint department was cost prohibitive for the smaller agencies and previous proposals were rejected by voters.