The Billings Fire Department participates in and is a member of a group of Montana municipal and district fire departments that cooperate in a firefighter candidate testing and selection consortium.  The participating entities adopted an Interlocal Agreement that allows several departments to cooperate and provide a single service/program that is more cost effective than each department running its own program.  Interlocal Agreements and any amendments must be approved by the governing body of each participant.  This Second Amendment to the Interlocal Agreement adds the City of Havre to the testing consortium and must be approved by all participants. 

City Council may approve or disapprove this 2nd Amended and Restated Interlocal Agreement among the participating local governments. Current members of the consortium are: Big Sky, Central Valley, Missoula Fire Districts, Billings, Bozeman, Great Falls, Helena, Miles City, Missoula and Butte-Silver Bow.

The financial impact to the City of Billings will not change. Consortium Members share equally in the costs related to Montana Firefighter Consortium testing process. Funding sources include initial membership dues for new members, as well as the amount of the annual dues paid by each member and test application fee received from candidates.  The Consortium may also from time-to-time apply for and receive other sources of revenue, such as grant funds.  The City of Billings pays $1,200 per year in dues to the Montana Firefighter Testing Consortium.

Staff recommends that the City Council approve the 2nd Amended and Restated Interlocal Agreement for the Montana Firefighters Testing Consortium.