Chiefs for the city-operated volunteer fire department and privately-owned Nebraska City Rescue Service announced Tuesday the formation of a task force to consider consolidation.

Fire Chief Alan Viox and Rescue Chief Janene Pummel said consolidation will ensure that Nebraska City and area residents receive modern, reliable and quality public safety services.

“The fire department and rescue squad have worked closely with each other for many years. However, times and demands have changed, and we need to make sure our organizations are streamlined to fulfill our commitment to the community,” said Chief Viox.

Chief Pummel said consolidation will put a structure in place to deliver excellent services to the community.

“The emergency services industry has become substantially more regulated and more sophisticated. Our squad has survived because of our volunteerism, and we will continue to rely on our volunteers, but we are at the point where, in order to provide the best service possible, we need to consolidate resources,” she said.

Mayor Jo Dee Adelung, the city’s commissioner of public safety, said the step toward consolidation demonstrates “unquestionable commitment to the services in our community.”

“There is nothing more important to me than to know that, when one of our citizens needs help, our public safety volunteers are ready to provide them with quality care in literally life or death situations,” she said.