Broken Arrow approves automatic aid agreement with Coweta for life‑threatening emergencies

Broken Arrow on Monday approved an automatic aid agreement with the city of Coweta that will send Broken Arrow fire apparatus to life‑threatening medical emergencies and confirmed structure fires when Broken Arrow units are closer and available.

Chief Moore, Broken Arrow fire chief, told the council the agreement covers an area in unincorporated Wagner County that falls between the two cities and includes several addresses with Broken Arrow mailing addresses but that are outside city limits. “If we have a Broken Arrow fire department fire truck that is closer than a Coweta fire truck, but no greater than 5 miles from a Broken Arrow fire station, we will go and help on working fires or what’s called priority 1 medical emergencies,” Chief Moore said. He added Coweta will reciprocate when its units are closer.

The agreement sets response limits, aims to improve response times on divided highways and turnpikes, and formalizes an existing handshake practice on incidents along the Muskogee Turnpike. Chief Moore said the arrangement will generally send two fire trucks on confirmed structure fires and at least one fire truck to stabilize priority 1 medical calls; ambulance transport remains the transport agency’s responsibility.

The council heard from a nearby resident, Tanya Hammersley, who described delayed responses in the area and urged approval. “Waiting 20 minutes could, you know, be life or death for for any of us,” Hammersley said, recounting a family emergency and urging faster response times.

The agreement includes a fee for service; Chief Moore described the compensation in the meeting as "$25100 a month" and also stated it would be “about $30,000 a year.” Council discussion noted that phrasing in the presentation was inconsistent and that the exact fee and collection mechanism will be subject to review. The city attorney told the council that automatic mutual aid is covered by state statute but that because this agreement includes payment it functions as a contract for services and therefore will require review by the Oklahoma attorney general before the city can collect compensation.

Council members asked about dispatch integration, ISO insurance ratings and timeline. Chief Moore said the Broken Arrow dispatch team and Coweta’s dispatch have worked on communication steps and that, with council ratification and the mayor’s signature, the fire department expects to begin providing the service “probably tomorrow,” with remaining transport and staffing nuances to be worked out in the coming days.

The council moved and approved the motion to execute the agreement by roll call. The vote tally was recorded by roll call but individual yes/no tallies were not specified in the meeting transcript.

Council members and staff said they will track call volumes in the area and report back after implementation to determine whether renegotiation is needed. The agreement as described is intended to lower ISO ratings for households in the affected pocket of unincorporated Wagner County and to encourage participation in Coweta’s subscription program to offset the cost.

Notes on implementation: the agreement as presented limits automatic response to (a) working fires and (b) priority 1 medical emergencies; it sets a five‑mile proximity threshold for Broken Arrow response; it formalizes reciprocal response on the Muskogee Turnpike; it includes a fee arrangement that will be submitted to the state attorney general for review; and the chief said operational rollout could begin within days.

The council’s approval authorizes the mayor to execute the agreement and directs staff to proceed with the communications and operational steps described by the fire chief.