Finance

Finance

Jun. 13, 2013

blog

Considering PSOs is like playing with fire

By Harold A. Schaitberger -- While researchers at MSU might think and hope that fire and police consolidation could be the next big thing in public safety, the concept is in fact old, tired and dangerous....More
May 30, 2013

News

Fire Chief

Panelists: Budget crisis may be over, but long-term effects remain to be seen

According to IAFC Executive Director Mark Light, 45% of fire departments across the country were forced to cut budgets during the economic downturn; another 25% relied more heavily on federal grants to fund staffing and services. At the same time, demands for service grew higher than pre-recession levels....More
May 17, 2013

Article

Fire Chief

How public-safety consolidation affects budgets, service 1

Public-safety consolidation has garnered greater attention as municipalities struggle with fiscal constraints. Will this lead to the end of fire services or an improved public-safety model where everyone speaks the same language?...More
May 2, 2013

Article

Fire Chief

Economy raises new interest in public-safety consolidation

Pressure from purse-string holders is pushing city managers to consider public-safety consolidation to save money and improve services to citizens. However, cost-savings should not be the reason municipalities turn to this model, said Jeff Hadley, chief of the Kalamazoo (Mich.) Department of Public Safety....More
Apr. 16, 2013

Commentary

Consolidation considerations and inquiring minds (with related video)

A “hybrid fire district” approach produces benchmarks to phase in a joint district over a longer period while increasing the expenditures of the newly created district to correspond with each benchmark....More
Apr. 16, 2013

Commentary

Fire Chief

How to use the municipal cost index for fire department budgeting

ou had better be prepared than the others competing for the same dollars. You don’t have to be the best firefighter -- you have to be the best justifier. And that requires a different set of tools....More
Mar. 28, 2013

Commentary

Understanding the supply, demand of 911 funding 1

By Willis Carter -- The lion’s share of the funding to support PSAPs continues to come from telephone service surcharge matrix developed more than three decades ago and long before the technological...More
Mar. 21, 2013

Article

How to create a top-performing fire department

Money is not the most important factor in leading a top preforming fire department; however, it is right up there with oxygen. Understanding that is important, but knowing how to position your department to receive your fair share of the revenue is key to successfully riding out the economic downturn and moving your organization forward....More
Mar. 13, 2013

Commentary

Why fire departments should begin budget planning early

It’s only March, so the New Year still may seem, well, new. But the time to prepare for the 2014 budget process is now....More
Feb. 27, 2013

Commentary

Lowe’s community grant a good fit for fire departments

Through grant programs, Lowe's donates more than $30 million annually to education and community-improvement projects across the U.S. and offers staffing through its Heroes program....More