News

By Dan Moffett

    Elected officials from six coastal communities will have some difficult decisions to make in evaluating the results of a study that examines the feasibility of creating a barrier island fire district.
    The revised 130-page report from Texas-based Matrix Consulting Group paints a complicated picture of how the six towns — Gulf Stream, Highland Beach, Briny Breezes, Ocean Ridge, Manalapan and South Palm Beach — might unite to provide their own fire-rescue services.
    Tradeoffs between cost and levels of protection permeate consultant Robert Finn’s analysis of what an independent district might look like and what is needed to create and run it.
    A key issue for officials is deciding how many stations are needed to effectively cover the proposed 20-mile district that runs along A1A.
    The plan envisions using existing stations in Manalapan and Highland Beach, with a new station to be built somewhere between Gulf Stream and Ocean Ridge.
    Some officials believe the district will need a fourth station, however, or at least the capability to deploy a fourth rescue unit — added expenses that could make the plan too costly.
    Gulf Stream Town Manager William Thrasher, who has led the exploratory group for the district proposal, says he expects the elected councils and commissions in the six towns to consider the findings this month and then decide whether to move forward.
    “For this to work, we need all six communities to stay involved,” Thrasher said. “That could be difficult considering some of the concerns about cost.”
    South Palm Beach Town Manager Bob Vitas has said his council is unlikely to approve any plan that raises costs.
    Highland Beach may be nearing an agreement for fire service with Delray Beach that could lead the town to pull out of the district group.
    Manalapan Town Manager Linda Stumpf says the town’s current long-term arrangement with Palm Beach County will be hard to beat. Manalapan has its own station and pays a relatively low rate for services that is linked to property values in neighboring South Palm Beach.
    “We have the Cadillac of all deals,” Stumpf said. “No one will ever see that deal again.”
    Still, Thrasher says he expects officials from all six towns to take a hard look at the study and formally support or reject the district plan.
    Among the study’s key findings:
    • The six towns currently pay a combined $6.93 million for their fire-rescue services. The estimated annual cost of operating an independent fire district with three rescue units is $6.15 million, suggesting a potential savings of about $781,000 per year. Adding a fourth rescue unit would cost about $800,000 more and amount to a $33,000 increase over current operating expenses.
    • It would take roughly $7.4 million in capital expenditures to get the district started. This includes about $3.6 million for trucks, vehicles and equipment, as well as another $3.8 million to renovate the Manalapan station and build a new station somewhere near the middle of the district.
    • Mutual aid agreements with mainland providers would be important to “ensure an effective response force can be assembled on structural fires.” Cooperation with mainland providers would help ensure coverage throughout the long, narrow district. The report says a close relationship between Delray Beach and Highland Beach would be necessary to cover the southern end.
    • The cost of buying services from the mainland continues to rise — up a combined 7 percent for the six towns over the past three years. Gulf Stream’s costs rose the most (10.25 percent) and Manalapan and South Palm Beach shared the lowest increase (5.15 percent).
    • Current response times vary significantly — from a high of nine minutes, 20 seconds in Gulf Stream to lows of roughly five minutes, 10 seconds in Manalapan and South Palm Beach.
    • The district would provide coverage to residents in the unincorporated county pocket and recover fees for service through an agreement with Palm Beach County.