Pontiac firefighters pave way for combining dept.

PONTIAC (AP) -- Pontiac firefighters have agreed to ratify an agreement that paves the way for combining their department with another nearby community's department to cut costs. The Oakland Press of Pontiac reports firefighters voted last Wednesday to ratify a tentative agreement that had been reached last week between the city's emergency financial manager Lou Schimmel and Pontiac Firefighters Union Local 376. Schimmel's plan would make Pontiac's fire department part of the Waterford Township department as a way to save $3 million. The communities now must agree on a contract for fire service in Pontiac, and Waterford Township's fire union must agree to changes. This summer, the Pontiac Police Department closed, making way for the Oakland County sheriff to take over law enforcement under a plan from Pontiac's former emergency manager. Published: Mon, Jan 2, 2012