In a step towards consolidation, the four North County Fire Agencies of Rancho Santa Fe, Encinitas, Solana Beach and Del Mar met at Seaside Beach parking lot on October 15, 2009 to sign a historic agreement that changes the way their agencies are managed.  Starting on that same date, Encinitas Fire Department will begin providing management services, and Rancho Santa Fe will provide battalion chiefs for all the areas.  This comes at time when the stressed economy has prompted cities and fire boards to research all ideas that would cut operating costs.  Annually, Encinitas will save $282,300; Solana Beach, $608,400; Del Mar, $173,600; and Rancho Santa Fe, $367,500 compared with the cost of separate management teams, said Chief Muir of Encinitas Fire Department.  The arrangement will provide more consistent service, improved communication and a quicker response time for the duty chiefs, Muir said. Encinitas Councilman Jerome Stocks also noted that if all goes well, the agencies might consider merging fire departments entirely.  No fire positions were lost in this endeavor.  Solana Beach and Del Mar have already been contracting out their fire management to Rancho Santa Fe Fire District on a temporary basis for nearly 3 years now.  Each agency will retain its own identity with the exception of the Rancho Santa Fe battalion Chief’s vehicle that has now been labeled with all four agency symbols and lists the communities it is serving.