Green Bay, Allouez prepare to merge fire departments

"The four personnel from Station 1 will be relocated to Allouez and we will be running a six-man engine house out of Allouez with one engine and one ambulance," said Green Bay Fire Chief Mike Nieft.

Allouez will pay Green Bay two-million dollars for fire service. In effect, that gives Green Bay another fire station, while Allouez will get back up from Green Bay's existing stations. Additional savings will come through combined equipment purchases and training. And residents like that idea.

"You want to get the same amount of protection that we've had. I've been very happy with the response we had," said Frank Carmody of Allouez.

"Anything that will keep the taxes down is great. That's for sure, said Bob Krueger of Allouez. "Without cutting service. We've got service here in Allouez."

This mark the first merger of it's kind in the Green Bay area and could be a model of things to come.

"To make sure everything's running smoothly, to show people that, indeed, this can be done and it can work right. That will lead to follow up deals in other situations."