STERLING – Combining Sterling and Rock Falls fire departments and CGH EMS services won’t save any money, but sharing equipment might, a consultant told the City Council Monday.

Robert Finn of Texas-based Matrix Consulting Group is a former police chief and fire chief. He was tasked with studying if there was a potential to improve services by merging both fire departments, by merging both fire and Emergency Medical Services, by sharing some services, or simply by improving their working relationships, Finn said.

Combining the two fire departments is not a good idea, in part because “[having] a river that separates the two communities automatically would dictate from an emergency standpoint that you should have resources on both sides,” Finn said.