Fire service: Consolidation survivors – Part 4
According to the NFPA, there were 30,165 fire departments in the U.S. in 2009
Fire service: Consolidation survivors – Part 1
According to the NFPA, there were 30,165 fire departments in the U.S. in 2009.
Fire Departments: Some shocking trends
I talk to fire departments every day who are falling farther behind economically.
Fire Department Funding: More Bad News
Most fire departments rely in some way upon property values in their community for the majority of their funding. And the news keeps getting worse…The housing economy has officially entered a “double-dip” – meaning that home values are now lower than the previous low point in 2009
Fire Department issue: Very Bad Financial Practices – Part 2
Another very bad financial practice: Not having checks and balances in your accounting system.It’s in the headlines frequently. A fire department whose officer stole some money.It’s a black eye for the department and can be financially deadly. Why does this happen?It becomes easy to depend on just one person to handle the department’s books – especially when volunteers are hard to come by and
Fire Department Funding: How to maintain your budget – Part 2
Why the public doesn’t understand your department’s valueWhen you think about it, fire departments (thankfully) touch only a small percentage of its paying “customers”.
Fire Department Funding: Are less departments better?
There is a movement toward consolidating fire departments across the U.S. What are the financial implications of this trend?I’m not qualified to comment on the operational or safety issues with consolidated departments. I can only speak professionally on the financial matters.Most politicians see consolidation as a way to reduce or eliminate the cost of fire protection. They think the cost of
Fire truck economy: How long will this last?
Fire department budgets are under pressure today. The question becomes – can we just hunker down and survive this mess?The odds are against that strategy. All economic indicators show that housing prices will remain, at best, only stable for quite a few years.The reasons this won’t go away anytime soon?Unemployment is still high and is projected to stay high for some time. Even the President’s
Why you can’t buy a fire truck – Part 5
Every day I talk with departments who desperately need new fire apparatus and can’t buy it. Why? They can’t promote their value.Part 5 – Bang for the buckIn most communities, the cost of fire service is rather small. Even so, the price of a new apparatus seems very large when presented in one large amount. Most people read a newspaper story that the fire department just bought a $400,000 or
Why you can’t buy a fire truck – Part 4
Every day I talk with departments who desperately need new fire apparatus and can’t buy it. Why? They can’t promote their value.Part 3 – Don’t be shyMost of the people in your community never use the fire department in any given year. So, they look at the department as an expense rather than an essential resource for your community.Successfully-funded fire departments reach out to the