The impending retirement of Hoquiam fire chief Paul Dean appears to have rekindled an interest in discussions regarding the possible consolidation of emergency services between Aberdeen and Hoquiam.

“We intend to reach out to Aberdeen and to discuss a partnership in some way,” said Hoquiam mayor Jasmine Dickhoff.

Dean’s retirement becomes official Oct. 1. He has been with the department for nearly 40 years, working his way up to assistant chief and, in 2012, chief.

“I have been in communication with (Dickhoff) regarding chief Dean’s retirement and there is mutual interest in exploring options for consolidation,” said Aberdeen mayor Erik Larson. “At this time it would be a bit premature to go into more detail than that.”

The issue of consolidation of services between the two cities has been contentious at times. In November 2017, Dickhoff publicly criticized Larson at a Hoquiam City Council meeting, saying he had been unwilling and unbending in any attempts at consolidation of any kind, including sharing a finance director, city administrator and emergency services.

Larson replied to her comments, saying he did not believe positions such as city administrator or finance director could be shared effectively between two different cities. He cited financial concerns when it came to emergency services consolidation, along with concerns about Aberdeen potentially losing control over its own emergency services. There are also state laws, said Larson, that limit the types of consolidation that can be sought among municipalities.

After Dean’s Monday announcement, both mayors appear willing to sit down and begin discussions anew, both saying the primary concern is the safety and well-being of the residents of their cities, and region.

“My responsibility is to provide first-rate fire and EMS service at the lowest reasonable cost to the taxpayer, and to that end I support exploring options that may better achieve that goal,” said Larson.

“Funding and maintaining EMS and fire services comes with a unique set of challenges for all municipalities,” said Dickhoff. “If there is a chance to better serve, save money and secure life and property services … it is our duty to consider all possible options. We will work closely with our neighbors, chiefs and staff to flesh out these ideas.”