The new economics of fire fighting

I think we are in a time of major transition for fire fighting in this country. So, what are the trends and what do they mean?

The biggest adjustment will be the transition from a primarily volunteer fire fighting force to some sort of paid fire fighting source. Economic and social trends are reducing the volunteer pool each year. Local governments will be forced to pay for fire fighting labor if they want to provide fire fighting service.

The result of the paid fire fighter economics will be fewer yet larger fire departments. The costs of more expensive trucks and paid, properly trained, and equipped fire fighters will result in some form of combination and merger to increase efficiencies. Some local governments will perhaps combine their fire departments. Some counties may form larger, county-wide fire departments.

Citizens will expect more from their tax dollars. Citizens will become more forceful in expecting higher quality and less expensive fire fighting and rescue services. The forward thinking departments are starting to prepare for this now.

In Summary
It's impossible to predict exactly when this trends will affect your department and community. But the smaller pool of volunteer labor (think of the bargain our country has received for the past 233 years!) will dramatically shape the future of fire fighting in this country.

Stay safe!

John R. Hill
Apparatus Budgeting Consultant
ENVIZION Financial
www.envizionfire.com