The timing is right for a joint meeting on rural fire protection.
As the real issues in the rural fire protection discussion are just starting to bubble to the surface, a plan revisited by Koochiching County and International Falls officials makes good sense.
We urge members of the Rural Fire Protection Association Board, International Falls City Council and county board to come to the table with open minds and an attitude toward compromise.
In addition, both governments ought to consider how the RFPA Board, which has served its constituents well for more than 60 years, can continue to give its expertise and knowledge in a valuable role.
International Falls officials are to be commended for considering a six-month extension to the existing rural fire protection contract with the county. The council is expected to approve the extension at its next council meeting. The current contract expires at the end of the year.
The extension will take the pressure off the issue and allow cooler heads to consider how to move forward in a reasonable and rational manner.
After the joint meeting of the three groups, a smaller, working group should be appointed to work through the issues toward a resolution that is best for everyone in this community.
That first meeting should include a laundry list of everyone’s concerns and desires. And the working group should answer all questions raised by the meeting.
It seems that everyone has the same goal, that being to provide the best fire protection possible to all residents served. Now we need to come up with a plan that achieves that goal in the most cost-effective and efficient way.
