The Lane Fire Authority (LFA) is officially set to consolidate with the Santa Clara Rural Fire Protection District. The consolidation will take place on July 1.
The change will improve staffing and response times for the fire authority by moving Santa Clara career personnel to the LFA Irving Station. It will also fill an open assistant chief position and make administrative services more efficient.
Lane Fire Authority Chief Terry Ney says the move makes sense amid shrinking volunteer numbers.
"This is being done without any additional cost to the taxpayer," Ney said. "So just by teaming up with a district that we have already had a long history of a strong working relationship back and forth with, we're able to bring a higher level of service, and a more reliable response without any additional cost."
Ney says the consolidation has been talked about for several years and that because it was not a merger, it did not require a public vote.