The City of Windsor's proposing fire departments from around Essex County come together to form one service.
Windsor Fire Chief Bruce Montone, who used to work in Ottawa before it amalgamated with surrounding municipalities, likes the idea from a resident's perspective. He says, "Ultimately, if you look at the regional service that I came from before I joined Windsor -- what the customer was receiving the day I left, was far better than the individual models prior to 2001."
Montone explains it took the Ottawa region a couple of years to combine its fire services, and then about six more years before it was operating smoothly.
Mayor Drew Dilkens brought the idea forward at this week's executive committee meeting. The City of Windsor's already been vocal about creating a regional transit system and regional police force.