BAY CITY, MI (WNEM) -
Bay City commissioners continue to look at whether to combine police and fire into a public safety operation and discussed it at their meeting Monday night.
Both Bay City Police Chief Michael Cecchini and Interim Fire Chief Karey Prieur answered questions from the board about how a public safety operation would play out.
One of the big questions commissioners had was whether this move could sacrifice safety or could lead to possible judgment calls when it comes to emergencies. Both the police and fire chief agreed there would have to be an operational plan, but did not believe there would be that type of problem.
"We have the facts. I'm confident in our ability to implement a public safety system and we don't know what it'd look like, but we'll create it to fit Bay City and we'll meet our goals as far as the budget and level of service," Cecchini said.
There still hasn't been a decision about whether the city will move forward with these plans.
Bay City is dealing with a $2 million budget deficit. Consolidating police and fire services is expected to save $1.5-$2 million.
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