WHATCOM COUNTY, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – The Whatcom County Council is investigating the potential of merging several local fire districts.

The council heard a presentation last month from Mission Critical Partners, a consultant hired last year to review the county’s fire and EMS systems.

The firm was tasked with finding ways to save money and increase efficiency among local response agencies to make their services more sustainable for the county’s long-term growth.

Among its recommendations was consolidating operations between Fire Districts 7 and 17, which would lump Sandy Point together with emergency services for Ferndale and North Bellingham.

It also proposed consolidating Fire District 18 and the South Whatcom Fire Authority, which would add South Lake Whatcom and Glenhaven to the service area for Lake Whatcom and Sudden Valley.

The firm says a dedicated response unit should be considered for Deming, while the county’s two dispatch centers could be merged or co-located to increase efficiency, among other recommendations.

The county council plans to further discuss the proposals in future committee meetings.