Eudora City Council has given the green light to continue talks about merging its emergency medical service and fire department.

Fire Chief Randy Ates will begin exploring an interlocal agreement among Douglas County, Lawrence-Douglas County Fire & Medical, Eudora Township and the city of Eudora to provide operations and managerial oversight for EMS for the area.

“Everybody benefits,” Ates said of the proposal. “I think it’s a great opportunity all around.”

In preliminary talks, Ates said, each agency has agreed to a portion of the funding and expressed willingness to help make it happen.

“We get more volunteers, professional oversight, a greater working relationship,” Ates said. “We have a chance to offer some excellent quality care and we get to do it at little expense.”

The move is expected to cost about $5,000 more than Eudora currently provides for the service, with the additional funds supporting training, recertification, vehicle repairs, fuel, medical supplies and other items.

Eudora currently provides about $16,000 in support.

Douglas County provides about $25,000, while Lawrence-Douglas County Fire & Medical provides about $48,000, mainly for medical supplies, and Eudora Township provides about $3,400.

Eudora leaders previously have talked with the county officials about taking over the supervisory role of the Eudora EMS operation. The county emergency medical system sets procedural and training requirements for Eudora EMS.

Eudora City Administrator Cheryl Beatty said officials hope to increase salaries with the move.

“The goal is to improve,” she said.