The Port Townsend City Council will hold a workshop with Jefferson County Fire District No. 6 commissioners to explore the possibility of joint operations.
Council members said Monday night they thought it would be useful to explore the positives and negatives of merging operations with the Cape George-based district.
“There may be an opportunity to deliver a higher level of service for Port Townsend,”‘ said Councilman Joe Finnie. “There may not be. It’s something we need to find out.”
Councilwoman Freida Fenn, who voted against having a workshop, said she was troubled by District No. 6’s tumultuous political past.
The district faced a recall effort to oust two of its commissioners about 1½ years ago.
Under a proposal floated by District No. 6 commissioner Rich Stapf, the two departments would share a chief and training officer. Consolidating administrative functions would allow both districts to hire more full-time firefighters to increase service without adding new taxes, he said.