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Christiansburg asks county to share costs for out‑of‑town responses; board agrees to meet and requests data
Summary
Following a formal request from the Town of Christiansburg, the Montgomery County Board of Supervisors agreed to meet with town officials to discuss a proposed cost‑share model for fire and EMS responses outside the town limits and asked staff to verify call data and cost methodology before a joint discussion.
The Town of Christiansburg asked the Montgomery County Board of Supervisors to consider a cost‑share arrangement for fire and EMS services provided outside the town limits, and the board agreed to hold a joint meeting after staff verifies the underlying call and cost data.
County staff told the board on April 14 that both towns — Christiansburg and Blacksburg — provide fire and EMS services within their corporate limits and in adjacent unincorporated areas (first‑due territories). Christiansburg’s formal letter asked the county to consider splitting certain costs 50/50, based on the town’s operational review of calls originating outside the town boundary.
County administrators said the request requires additional analysis. Staff proposed a countywide comprehensive services study and an RFP to identify optimal station locations, staffing models, capital needs and a financial model that could fairly apportion cost between the county and the towns. The draft RFP is under review by the towns and will be released after town feedback; staff estimated a 90‑day procurement cycle and a study timeline that would run through the summer.
Supervisors voted to meet jointly with Christiansburg elected officials but also asked county staff to pre‑validate the data Christiansburg submitted — including the call counts, soft‑billing for EMS transports and the methodology behind any 50/50 split — before a joint meeting. The board emphasized the need to compare apples‑to‑apples: the county wants calls and cost figures pulled from consistent data sources (county/NRV 9‑1‑1 records) and to include mutual‑aid and backup responses in any cost model.
County staff said the RFP could provide a system‑wide evaluation that would address equity across career, volunteer and hybrid service models and could identify whether first‑due boundaries, station locations or funding formulas should change. The town manager of Christiansburg had asked for an early meeting; supervisors said they were willing to meet but wanted staff analysis prepared first so the joint discussion can be productive.
No appropriation or formula was adopted at the meeting.
