Crime & Safety

Lakewood Opts Out of the Westshore Joint Fire District

Mayor Michael Summers: It "just doesn't make sense."

Plans for a that would have included have been extinguished.

Summers told that the city had reached its “decision point” and elected not to move forward.

“After very careful thought and consultation with Fire Chief (Scott) Gilman, I decided that Lakewood would not proceed as a primary driver of consolidation,” he said.

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Summers cited several reasons for the decision.

Among them:

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  • The city’s geographic location in relation to the other communities — located at the eastern edge of the proposed district — is “not favorable” for service to Lakewood.
  • The closest support, and only contiguous community, is Rocky River, which has the smallest department in the district.
  • The city’s response time of three to four minutes is the shortest in the entire district.
  • The city administration was “challenged to identify benefits” to Lakewood.

“You’d like to think that something like this can work, but due to our geographic situation, it just doesn’t make sense,” he said.

Summers said the city will continue to look for ways to share services with the other communities, including respoinding to mutual aid calls and participating in the regional HAZMAT team.

With North Olmsted, North Ridgeville, Avon Lake also pulling out, the only committed members remaining are Westlake, Rocky River, Fairview and Bay Village.

A feasibility study conducted in 2010 — funded by a grant from EfficientGovNow — looked at ways the fire departments could work together.

The report found that there are more than two-dozen ways the cities could cooperate — even if a joint fire district isn’t formed.

Lakewood Fire Chief recently there are plenty of ways the departments can still work together.

“We’ve already taken steps to share our resources, and keep our costs down,” he said.

The departments routinely provide mutual aid to each other, but Gilman said there are other ways the departments are already working together.

The compact recently received a $135,000 grant, earmarked for radio equipment.

Gilman said the district used the cash to buy seven mobile data terminals, 10 vehicle radios and 14 portable radios.

He added that the new county administration was “instrumental” in helping to build two communication towers — one at Stearns Road and Interstate 480 and the other at Columbia Road and I-90.

In addition, Lakewood also participates in the Westshore Hazardous Materials Response Team should an environmental emergency arise in the region.


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