BELL COUNTY, Texas (KXXV) — The city of Morgan's Point Resort has merged the police and fire department into a single Public Safety Department — a move that local leaders said will improve coordination and communication.
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“We’ve shared the same building, we're on the same calls, we're doing the same things, we've been doing the same job – since forever,” said Matthew Schuetze, the city’s director of public safety.
Schuetze said the integration between departments has been in place for years, though many residents may not have realized it.
“We've had an integrated response, between police and fire, and EMS services, since about 2013. A lot of people don't know that,” he said.
The official consolidation took effect with the city’s new budget in October. Schuetze said the change primarily affects administration.
“What they've done now is just consolidated the administrative functions. So instead of having a police chief and a fire chief, separated, what we have done is combine the administration functions under myself as a director of public safety,” Schuetze said.
Jimbo Snyder, a lieutenant with the Morgan’s Point Resort Fire Rescue Emergency Management Division, said police and fire crews have long worked together on calls.
“It goes back years. We generally, when we run on a call with the fire department, more times than not when we arrive, the PD's already there. They've already set the scene for us and just do a quick handover,” Snyder said.
Snyder, who has been with the department for five years, said the merger formalizes what has already been working.
“That connectivity between the two departments is really just going to get stronger now,” he said.
Both Schuetze and Snyder said residents should not expect noticeable changes in day-to-day services.
“They're not going to really see any changes on the operational aspect that – you're going to still have a police department. You're still going to have a fire department. When you call 911, you're going to get the same services and you're going to get what we've been getting. So, what they can expect is better services in the long run,” Schuetze said.
