The city could save more than $10 million within five years if its emergency and water safety duties are combined with the Honolulu Fire Department, an administration study released Monday concludes.

The proposed merger of the Department of Emergency Services with the Fire Department is also being discussed by the City Council’s Safety, Economic Development and Government Affairs Committee at 9 a.m. today.

Combining nonpolice emergency functions has been discussed for more than a decade.

Some paramedics have resisted such a merger. But tight economic times across the country have made consolidations more commonplace on the mainland and regenerated the idea locally.

Besides saving money, a merger could improve emergency services on Oahu, the report said.

The $175,000 study by Emergency Services Consulting International said problems that plagued the emergency services system, which were spelled out in a 1992 study, continue.

Those include a dependence on overtime to meet daily operational needs, lack of advanced support service personnel, competition for staff from federal fire agencies providing emergency medical services, lack of career opportunities and advancement for emergency services personnel and insufficient resources in some urban areas.

Jim Fulton, spokesman for Mayor Peter Carlisle, stressed no final decision has been made. City officials could choose to accept, reject or modify recommendations in the report, he said.

Both Dr. James Ireland, emergency services director, and Fire Chief Kenneth Silva declined comment Monday but are expected to appear at today’s Council meeting.

A key argument for consolidation is savings that would result from eliminating duplication in certain functions, such as administration, dispatch and communication.

The report also said the emergency services system is burdened by increasing demand and that it has difficulty meeting standard response times, particularly in the city’s urban core.

"The merger has the capability to utilize existing fire service assets and resources to ensure that paramedic-level intervention can be accomplished within established performance expectations," the report said.

The study also said emergency services paid $4.9 million in overtime costs during fiscal 2010, equivalent to 43 percent of the regular salary budgeted. The report attributed a portion of that cost to provisions within the labor contract between the city and the United Public Workers, the union which represents paramedics.

"Any cost reductions in overtime expense … would require negotiations of the overtime provisions of the labor contract," the report said.

WHILE the largely blue-collar UPW represents paramedics, lifeguards and other emergency services personnel, firefighters are represented by the Hawaii Fire Fighters Association.

"Current contract requirements impede the ability to modify shift schedules and unit deployment, and the UPW has economic incentives to resist the merger of the agencies," the report said.

Dayton Nakanelua, UPW state director, did not return a call to his office Monday.

Another issue raised by the study is whether the state Department of Health, which pays the city contractually for emergency medical services, will continue to provide the same level of funding if there is a merger. The Health Department is under no obligation to keep current funding levels and could opt to provide less money if the agency "does not believe that the proposed changes will improve response performance, improve medical outcomes or reduce costs."

The report recommended a four-phase merger plan that could be completed within three to five years.