Support the Timberjay by making a donation.

Serving Northern St. Louis County, Minnesota

Tower, Breitung officials to discuss fire department merger

Jodi Summit
Posted 1/17/13

Officials from Tower and Breitung Township will meet on Tuesday, Jan. 29, to discuss forming a committee to investigate options for combining the two towns’ fire departments. The council had …

This item is available in full to subscribers.

Please log in to continue

Log in

Tower, Breitung officials to discuss fire department merger

Posted

Officials from Tower and Breitung Township will meet on Tuesday, Jan. 29, to discuss forming a committee to investigate options for combining the two towns’ fire departments. The council had previously discussed the issue of establishing a joint department with help from the Bois Forte Band, which is seeking a new fire protection agreement.

At Monday’s council meeting, Council Member and Fire Department Officer Lance Doughtery, Deputy Clerk Linda Keith, and Tower Fire Chief Rolando Noyes were appointed to a committee to work on the issue.

The council took no further action on the possibility of signing an agreement with Bois Forte for fire protection. The city has sent written confirmation to the Band that they are willing to respond to fire calls on the Lake Vermilion Reservation under their current mutual aid agreements with Greenwood and Breitung townships. The city has not accepted any payment from Bois Forte at this point in time. In December, Bois Forte offered Tower a $150,000 payment for a five-year fire protection agreement.

Greenwood Town Board members Tom Aro and Carmen DeLuca attended Monday’s council meeting, but did not speak on the issue.

The council officially added Mike Larsen, of Tower, to the fire department. They also received, with regrets, the resignation of longtime EMT Scott Kregness from the Tower Area Ambulance Service. The city will send Kregness a letter of thanks for his service. The council heard an update on the new ambulance, that is currently being built for the city and should be ready for delivery in about six months. Each township and city in the Tower Area Ambulance Service area pays an annual assessment, based on the number of households, for the ambulance service. This funding is used to purchase the ambulances. The service maintains two four-wheel drive ambulances, which they update on a regular basis.