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0 <br />,rrN <br />°1 <br />,0 <br />w <br />_ <br />®~ z <br />0 <br />a <br />a - <br /> <br />.~ <br />.~ <br />.~, <br />a~ <br /> <br />0 <br />Q <br />3 <br />otJ C <br />N 0 <br />N <br />>_ <br />~ Q <br />.~ <br />.~ <br />a <br />m~ <br />U <br />C ~ <br />~LL <br />U <br />C <br />N <br />LL <br />m <br />C <br />.~ <br />C <br />a <br />N <br />U <br />N <br />O <br />J <br />E <br />m <br />rn <br />0 <br />w <br />0) <br />C <br />N <br />C ~ W N <br />3 > U <br />U V ~ `~ <br />a~ 9 LL <br />a <br /> <br /> <br />3 a <br />a <br />°' E <br />- <br /> <br />~ o <br />v <br />ry m <br /> a <br />,~ <br />~ vN <br /> o~ <br />_ ~ <br /> a <br />o >° ~~ <br />p ~ .c ~ 3 <br />C jJj 'Q .0 N <br />F ~U ~~ <br /> Q <br /> <br />~ N <br />C N N <br />~ <br />~ <br />r <br />N <br /> QI <br />' O N <br />' ~ <br />`a Q 7 <br />0 N <br />- <br /> ~ ~ a ~ m <br />o. o a E 16 U c <br />~ U a~ <br />. <br />a ~ ~ 3 ~ <br /> 0 ~ Q I- <br /> w <br /> <br /> <br />W ~ <br />m <br />C ~ <br /> <br />U <br />0 _ <br />.C j, <br />0 ~ ~ <br />~ _ <br />a <br /> ~ a <br />a ~ ~ <br />N <br /> w <br />3- ttaho Concept <br />Eugene Fire & EMS and Springfield Fire & Life Safety have enjoyed a close working relation- <br />ship -and an effective automatic aid agreement -for many years. Recently, however, the two <br />departments have taken cooperation even further, entering into new ways of working together <br />that will make the entire metro area safer. <br />This new, improved alliance is called the 3-Battalion Concept. In the fire service, a group <br />(often five or six) of response companies is called a battalion. In effect, Eugene has two battal- <br />ions and Springfield has one. By viewing the combined workforce as a single unit comprised of <br />three battalions, more effective responses can occur throughout the combined response area. <br />Personnel from both departments train together, which develops familiarity among firefighters <br />from both agencies along with familiarity with each other's equipment. Joint training drills <br />have occurred in the past, but are now much more regular under the 3-Battalion Concept. <br />The departments also have worked together to adopt Metro SOPS -Standard Operating Proce- <br />dures -common to both, so that firefighters engaged in a joint response can know exactly what <br />to expect from each other in the field. Adopted Metro SOPS now include motor vehicle acci- <br />dents, high-rise operations, search & removal of occupants, extended emergency operations, <br />and others, with more to follow. Essentially each department has made its system completely. <br />compatible with the other's. <br />Finally, some facilities and equipment were renumbered in both departments in order to avoid <br />duplication, overlap, and possible confusion. This physical renumbering has been the only ac- <br />tualexpenditure required in order to move forward with the concept. <br />In practice, the 3-Battalion Concept functions as a dramatic enhancement to the two jurisdic- <br />tions' existing automatic aid agreement. Automatic aid has in effect been expanded throughout <br />both communities, meaning that not only will the closest resources be dispatched regardless of <br />10 11 <br />