BATON ROUGE — The Baton Rouge Fire Department and Baton Rouge EMS are being merged into a single entity, the Mayor-President’s Office announced Monday afternoon. 

According to a news release, the consolidation would focus on reducing duplication in administrative and operational areas. Officials said that the merger will be done gradually "with careful planning to avoid any disruption in emergency response services."

“This merger is a potential opportunity to create a more unified and responsive emergency services system,”  Mayor-President Sid Edwards said. “While a transition like this will take time, it positions us to deliver faster, smarter, and more effective service to the people of Baton Rouge. Public safety has always been a top priority for my administration, and this strategic consolidation will help streamline operations and enhance outcomes for our residents.”

Edwards was joined by EMS and Fire Department leadership at a news conference at City Hall on Monday at 3 p.m. where the announcement was made. Officials said the transition will be slow and take several years to implement.

As part of the transition, EMS employees will join the Fire and Police Civil Service system. The mayor's office said that this will provide "greater job protections, clearer career advancement and consistent standards across public safety roles."

“This represents a significant step forward for public safety in our community,” Baton Rouge Fire Department Chief Michael Kimble said. “By unifying EMS and fire under one department, we eliminate redundancy, strengthen our emergency response, and better protect both our citizens and our personnel.”

Edwards added that there are no plans for layoffs at either department.