Omaha, Bellevue, Papillion Fire Departments announce a mutual aid agreement

The Omaha, Bellevue, and Papillion Fire Departments have announced a mutual aid agreement.

The automatic mutual aid agreement begins at 10 AM Wednesday. It means the closest fire department will respond to an emergency, regardless of jurisdiction. For example, if a Bellevue resident with an emergency lives closer to a south Omaha fire station, that station would respond first.

The cities previously had an agreement for mutual aid by request. Omaha Fire Chief Mike McDonnell says the move will improve response times, make each department more efficient, and save taxpayers money.