North Collier, Immokalee fire districts want to expand partnership

NAPLES, Fla. Fire officials are enthusiastic about the prospect of an expanded partnership between two Collier County districts.

The North Collier Fire Control and Rescue District and the Immokalee Fire Control District want to build on an existing agreement to collaborate on information technology and budgeting and combine their human resources departments.

The collaboration would create a cost-effective approach to mutual aid response by allowing the districts to share resources, according to Immokalee Fire Chief Michael Choate.

The existing partnership, which began more than three years ago, has helped the agencies cut emergency response times as they help each other with training, inspections and fire truck repairs.

The North Collier district draws from a greater tax base than the Immokalee district, but North Collier officials are confident they can benefit from sharing resources.

“It saves them time, it saves them money and it keeps the money local,” North Collier Fire District spokeswoman Christina Silverman said.

The fire chiefs are expected to present the plan to expand to county commissioners in August.