Financial pressures and the challenges of finding and keeping volunteers were among the factors that drove three Butler Township volunteer fire departments to plan a merger. But the effort is a smart move that will increase efficient use of both finances and manpower while also producing faster response times.

The chiefs of each of the three departments and the general membership all deserve credit for initially being open-minded about the idea of consolidation, and then moving forward with the plan. They put the interests of the community above their individual interests.

Announcing this week that they plan to merge, the chiefs of Meridian, Lyndora and Greenwood Village volunteer fire departments have demonstrated laudable cooperation and a willingness to put aside ego for the good of the community.

The three chiefs’ plan to merge might also be pointing toward the future, when regional fire departments become the norm. State leaders and experts in municipal government often argue that Pennsylvania suffers from inefficiencies associated with fragmentation, whether it’s with hundreds of small municipalities within a single county or separate volunteer fire departments that developed over the years without coordinated planning regarding service areas, competition for funds and volunteers.

Consolidation is often the best way to save money, whether in school districts, small municipalities or volunteer fire departments.

The three departments plan to merge by Jan. 1, 2014 and the newly created VFD is expected to be known as Butler Township Fire District Station No. 3. The new department will combine staffing as well as resources, following an inventory and analysis of the equipment. The newly formed department will also operate under a single chief.

The change to a single chief, which, of course makes sense, is also evidence that the three current chiefs deserve recognition for setting aside egos to move the merger plan forward.

Rising to become chief is an honor and reflects hard work, dedication and respect of fellow firefighters. Those who rise to that level often have a healthy ego, and the willingness of these three chiefs — Meridian’s Toby Wehr, Lyndora’s Dexter Keibler and Greenwood Village’s Joe Hanchosky — to work together, knowing that only one of them will be in charge a year from now, says a lot about their willingness to put the needs of the community above their own personal interests.

The three merging fire departments are located relatively close to one another. The township’s two other departments — South Butler and Mercer Road — are geographically farther away from other departments, and are, therefore, less likely candidates for consolidation.

But across the county, other merger opportunities should be pursued. Already, a few VFDs in Butler County have merged. It’s a trend across much of the country, and for the same reasons that the Butler Township merger is moving forward — to make more efficient use of funds and equipment and to deal with the growing challenge of recruiting and keeping volunteers.

Butler Township Commissioner Dave Zarnick was correct in praising the three chiefs for how quickly and peacefully the proposed merger is moving along.