Altoona and Eau Claire already share ambulance services. Now. a merger between the Eau Claire Fire Department and the Altoona Fire Department may be in the works, and that would mean changes for both departments.
With both cities growing at high rates, the Eau Claire Fire Department and the Altoona Fire Department could soon merge together.
There are several reasons for the potential merger. Altoona has especially seen recent population growth, going from 6.706 in 2010 to 8,817 in 2021. That's according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
"When we have growth, unfortunately it means we have to increase the amount of services we provide, the amount of space, we need staffing," said Altoona's Fire Chief Mark Renderman.