Flash Point:

Fire District Consolidation

Voters slated to get historic opportunity to combine fire districts that have been embroiled in turf wars with each other and Collier County EMS for decades 

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For almost 30 years, political turf wars have crushed the fits and starts of tax hawks who’ve aimed to consolidate Collier’s five fire district chiefdoms — all of them independent local governments with separate elected officials, tax rates, budgets, unions and chiefs.

Come November, citizens could get the opportunity to vote to combine the county’s four largest fire districts into two.

The progress to date marks a milestone that seemed near impossible just five years ago to consolidation proponents, and it could move Collier within reach of a unified fire and paramedic response system.

Participate:

Aug. 14: North Naples Fire Commissioners and Big Corkscrew Island Fire Commissioners are slated to vote on whether to put a merger referendum on the November ballot. For details see: www.bcnnmerger.com

Aug. 20: Naples City Council is scheduled to vote on whether to join the Collier County Sheriff Office's upgraded computer aided dispatch system, which proponents say will minimize turf battles and decrease emergency response times.

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Reporting by: Gina Edwards

Dateline: Naples, Fla., Aug. 13, 2014

Contact Gina Edwards at 239-514-1336 or by email at ginavossedwards@gmail.com