Hailey Deputy Fire Chief Carl Hjelm has stepped down after 18 years of service in the Hailey Fire Department. His position will not be filled until the City Council decides whether to fund a fire department consolidation study, which could result in the merger of several fire-fighting and medical-service agencies in the south valley.
"We're not sure where we are going right now," Hailey Fire Chief Mike Chapman said. "We may defer rehiring until September to pay for the consolidation study, if it goes forward."
Tight budgets have led to serious talk about possible consolidation of eight emergency fire and medical-service agencies in southern Blaine County. In some cases, their service areas overlap. The longtime goal of some officials has been to find a way to combine them in a manner that saves money and improves services.
Hailey initiated a process last year to gather proposals from independent consultants to study the possibilities of consolidation. They range in cost from $40,000 to $60,000. The proposals will be ranked this month. A decision by all agencies involved to fund the study is expected this summer.
Hjelm is joining his wife, Kristen, in Portsmouth, N.H. She will continue to work for MBT Shoes' corporate office, which recently relocated there from Hailey.
Hjelm worked as a city planner in Hailey when he arrived in 1991. He spent 10 years as a volunteer assistant fire chief and eight years as a full-time assistant chief.
Chapman said Hjelm's hours were split between working as a training officer and maintenance director before he left the department.
"It is possible we will hire only a training officer, or a maintenance person," he said. "It will be difficult to find someone in this community to do everything he was doing."
Tony Evans: tevans@mtexpress.com
Carl Hjelm, in the center of the second row of five people, hoists a pint of beer at McClain’s Pizzeria in Hailey during a retirement party earlier this month.
