Nevada County Consolidated and 49er fire districts might combine their operations, although officials of both district emphasize that talks so far have been very preliminary.

A committee of directors and chiefs from the fire districts agree that the idea has enough merit to warrant a full-blown study.

The board of Consolidated is scheduled to discuss the question on Tuesday.

Nevada County Consolidated serves an area of about 100 square miles stretching from Alta Sierra, around the fringes of Grass Valley, through the Brunswick Basin and up Banner Mountain.

49er Fire District serves 52 square miles stretching from Kentucky Flat in Penn Valley to the White Cloud area east of Nevada City.

Consolidated Chief Tim Fike emphasized that no decisions have been made.

"It's time to talk some more," he said, adding that the preliminary look at the issue found the strong possibility of cost savings if the districts merged.

David Ray, battalion chief at 49er, said the possibility of merger is interesting because it might increase the fire staffing in the area served by 49er.

Currently, he said, the district's staff of three full-time engineers, a battalion chief and a chief is sufficient to provide coverage by one full-time professional 24 hours a day. Eighteen volunteers also work in the district.

With a merger, Ray said, it's possible that two full-time professionals could be on duty in the 49er area - and that means faster response to emergencies.

Additionally, he said, a merger might save money in equipment purchases and maintenance.

Consolidated was created by the merger of the Gold Flat and Bullion fire districts north and south of Grass Valley in the early 1990s.

Later, Consolidated also merged with two smaller districts - Watt Park and Alta Oaks - at the edges of Grass Valley.

49er was created in the mid-1950s. It's based on North Bloomfield Road at the edge of Nevada City.

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