Twin Cities Fire Department?

Festus and Crystal City Explore Fire Department Merger as Equipment and Staffing Costs Rise

By The Jefferson Review

Festus and Crystal City are exploring whether combining their fire departments could improve emergency service and make better use of taxpayer dollars as both communities face major investments in equipment and staffing.

In separate interviews with The Jefferson Review, Festus City Administrator Ben DeClue and Crystal City City Administrator Jason Eisenbeis emphasized that the discussions have only just begun. Neither city has committed to a merger, and continuing to operate separate departments remains an option.

“One of our options is always to stand pat,” DeClue said. “We don’t have to do anything.”

An Idea That Dates Back to 2013

According to Eisenbeis, the idea was raised in 2013 by Richards, now Festus’ mayor, who was then serving on the Festus City Council. Eisenbeis recalled that another Festus council member, Gary Underwood, may also have participated in that approach to Crystal City.

Both departments were volunteer operations at the time, Eisenbeis said. The proposal did not gain traction, and Crystal City continued operating independently.

Now, with both cities considering new fire trucks and Festus considering a second firehouse west of town, Eisenbeis believes it makes sense to revisit the question.

The departments are approximately a mile and a half apart, he said, and frequently respond to the same emergencies. Eisenbeis said his review of summer calls found that approximately 25% of Crystal City’s calls had been relayed to Festus.

“Does what we’ve been doing for the last hundred years still make sense?” Eisenbeis asked.

Different Staffing Models, Shared Challenges

One of the central questions is how a combined operation would accommodate the departments’ different staffing models.

Festus has regular crews of full-time firefighters supplemented by volunteers, DeClue said. Crystal City remains primarily a volunteer department, with one full-time paid firefighter hired last year.

Eisenbeis said Crystal City wants to expand its paid staffing over time. While hiring the first full-time firefighter was a starting point, he said, the department needs multiple personnel available to respond safely.

DeClue said providing professional, full-time fire service is expensive, making it important to examine how the cities can maintain efficient, responsive coverage.

Neither community is pursuing the discussion out of financial desperation, he said. Instead, officials want to evaluate future needs before those pressures become more difficult to manage.

“We’re looking to hopefully get ahead of that and examine what the future looks like, and to see if it looks better together,” DeClue said.

No Connection to Data Center Funding, Eisenbeis Says

Asked whether the discussions were connected to potential data center funding for Festus fire services, Eisenbeis rejected that explanation.

“The data center has nothing to do with this,” he said.

He said the purpose is to examine equipment costs, staffing, response times and whether closer cooperation would benefit residents. The original discussion, he noted, predates the current data center debate.

First Meeting Opens a Longer Process

At the time of the interviews, the two city administrators and both fire chiefs had met once for an initial discussion lasting about an hour.

Eisenbeis described the approach as beginning with a blank sheet of paper. Questions about command structure, financial responsibilities and which city a fire chief would answer to remain unresolved.

The next step, he said, is to learn from communities that have already considered or completed similar changes. Both administrators anticipate that an outside consultant could eventually help evaluate finances and operations, although that step has not been reached.

DeClue estimated the work could take a year, a year and a half, or two years. Eisenbeis also said the process could take years. Neither described a fixed schedule.

“There’s no rush,” DeClue said.

Residents Will Have a Voice

Both administrators said public participation would be part of the process before a decision is made.

Eisenbeis said that would include open houses, information for residents and opportunities for fire department employees and leadership to help shape the discussion.

“No decisions will be made before they have that opportunity to participate,” he said.

DeClue said officials will need to explain any recommendation in both financial and operational terms, including why remaining separate might be the best outcome if the analysis does not support a merger.

The cities already cooperate through mutual fire assistance and other shared resources. Whether that cooperation should become a combined fire service is the question now before them.

“Whatever we come up with has to make sense for both communities,” DeClue said. “It has to improve service in some ways for both communities.”