St. Paul Fire Department looking to end aid agreement with surrounding suburbs

The St. Paul Fire Department wants to end an agreement with several suburbs that surround the city.

Many are concerned over how ending that agreement would impact fire crews' response times in the event of an emergency.

The agreement sends the nearest agency to an emergency, regardless of what city it's in.

St. Paul Fire says sending crews into other cities leaves fewer firefighters in their own backyard.

"A couple things happen when you respond outside your jurisdiction is that you leave a coverage gap within your jurisdiction," St. Paul Fire Deputy Chief Roy Mokosso said. "The Saint Paul Fire Department is committed to public safety and is responsible for the residents of Saint Paul."

Nearby cities, like Roseville, are disappointed that St. Paul wants to end the agreement.

"When somebody is going through cardiac arrest or their house is on fire, they don't care what the name on the side of the truck is," Pat Trudgeon, Roseville City Manager said. "They are just concerned over a timely response and this program does deliver that so we found it very valuable to provide real great service to the area residents."

St. Paul City Council is expected to vote on the issue Wednesday.

If approved, the agreement will end in 60 days.