The Pine-Marshall-Bradford Woods Joint Police Force is a trendsetter in intermunicipal cooperative efforts.

Now, Bradford Woods and Marshall fire officials are discussing a merger of their fire departments.

"We're at the very beginning stages. We had one formal session," said Jason Bragunier, a Marshall firefighter.

At the meeting, committees were formed to consider finances, bylaws, buildings and equipment, government affairs and public relations, name, logos, uniforms, and other potential merger issues.

No time frame has been set on a decision.

"We're on a fact-finding mission now. We're still a long way away, even if a merger did happen," Bragunier said.

Bradford Woods and Marshall share borders and a police department, but differ widely in size and populat ion . At 14.79 square miles, Marshall dwarfs its 0.9-square-mile neighbor. Bradford Woods' 1,149 residents are outnumbered by Marshall's 5,996 residents. Marshall has two fire stations, and Bradford Woods has one.

The location of the Bradford Woods fire station on Wexford Run Road is one of the enticing aspects of a merger for some Marshall officials.

"Marshall doesn't have a station in the southern part of the township. We often pass [the Bradford Woods fire station] on the way to fires," Bragunier said.

Marshall's two fire stations are in the Warrendale and Knob Park areas of the township. Bradford Woods' station is in the center of the borough.

For both departments, the question of recruitment is an issue of survival. Marshall has 25 active firefighters and Bradford Woods has five. Both departments are staffed by volunteers.

These days, it is harder for Marshall firefighters to recruit more volunteers into the ranks, Bragunier said. The desire to reduce duplication of services and equipment, and to lower administrative costs for the departments, also played a part in sparking the merger talks, Bragunier added.

He said other such merger efforts are under way in the North Hills. The Pine-Marshall-Bradford Woods police department is working on a merger with Richland police, and Mars and Valencia fire departments are considering a merger.

Bradford Woods Fire Department Chief Michael Slater said his department's merger talks with Marshall fire officials are in the early stag es.

"I'm not sure it's going to fly," he said, adding that members of the departments met twice in July.

Slater said he was concerned that adding Marshall's 250 fire calls a year to the small borough's 50 calls a year might overwhelm his small department. "I don't want 200 [more] calls a year," Slater said.

But he admitted that the numbers are against his department. With only three Bradford Woods firefighters younger than 40 years old, and just five certified firemen in the entire department, the force is short-handed.

"It' not a money issue, it's a people issue. You need to have enough people who are certified firefighters. I don't have enough people, enough young people," Slater said. "Bradford Woods suffers from peoples' ideas of better things to do."