By Jay Lowry
The economic realities are hitting home across the nation and nowhere is it more evident than in the realm of public safety. The fire service is at a critical stage and the future of NFPA 1710 staffing is at stake. Communities are asking if they need the level of fire service they have become accustomed to over the years.
The fire service has responded poorly to this challenge. Unlike law enforcement, the fire service generates goodwill but it doesn’t translate into hardy budgets.
People are scared of crime but they aren’t scared of fire in the same way. Sadly they see fire as something that happens elsewhere.
Fear has driven police budgets up, though they too are suffering in many areas, but the fire service abhors this type of approach. What we will be seeing in many communities is a vast reduction in services supported by local government with help from the federal government because the money has to go to other “urgent” areas.
Many departments will become revolving doors, temporary places to work until a precious slot opens up on a larger, better funded department. Turnover will increase because people will look elsewhere for positions offering more stability.
No one can count on prior research to show the validity of staffing. As has been shown, research is quickly countered by those who do not know the fire service. Specialists, like insects, will feed the notion that the fire service can do the same with less. Politicians will buy it because the government is seeking to provide too much to far too many people.
Unless the fire service mounts an aggressive campaign to warn people about the disastrous impact of lowered staffing, the result will be a steady erosion of the fire service as we know it.