Facing city budget pressures, the ongoing closure of a city fire station and stalled negotiations on a labor contract with firefighters, the city council is holding a public workshop Tuesday on the future of fire protection services.

There is no vote scheduled for Tuesday, but the council will have profound decisions to make in the coming months. Among the epxected deliberations are the possibility of contracting with the Rodeo-Hercules Fire District, a move that could reduce costs and improve response times but also cede some local control. The two fire agencies, along with the Contra Costa Fire Protection District, currently provide closely coordinated emergency response in Pinole, Hercules and the surrounding unincorporated communities.

A consultant's report issued a year ago determined that the Pinole's fire department was unsustainable in its current state. Since then, Pinole and the Rodeo-Hercules district have agreed to share the cost of a fire chief for both departments. The Rodeo-Hercules district, beset by its own deep fiscal distress, has considered browning out one of its two stations.

Possible complications of combining fire services include resolving discrepancies among separate labor agreements among the fire agencies. Last summer, the Pinole City Council imposed a contract with the firefighters union after negotiations failed.

Pinole is one of ony four cities in Contra Costa County with its own fire department.

Tuesday's meeting is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. at Pinole City Hall, 2131 Pear St. Also on the agenda is an update about the wastewater treatment plant that Pinole shares with the City of Hercules.