Fire Department Management
The fire department management topic focuses on fire service leadership, from the high-level management issues facing fire chiefs to the administrative functions and budget issues that impact day-to-day operations.
Jackson County’s measure, which passed 36,228 to 26,783, will fund roughly $5.5 million in new 800-megahertz radios for all 641 fire and police radios countywide
With 63% voting against the 1% sales tax that would have expanded the city’s own fire department to 24/7 service, Valley Center will now join Sedgwick County’s Fire District 1, saving an estimated $7.1 million in equipment and facility costs
Walker’s failed 1.75-mill, 10-year levy would have funded round-the-clock staffing at all three fire stations and a new police facility, as the city grapples with growing population pressure on emergency response capacity
Wadsworth’s five-year measure raises the EMS levy from 3 to 4 mills, generating about $2.52 million annually, as voters also approved cutting the city’s fire levy to help offset the increase amid surging emergency call volumes
Local 734 President Matthew Coster says the city’s aging fleet and lack of reserve vehicles leave firefighters stretched thin, warning that larger response areas and increased overtime demands require a long-term fleet replacement strategy, not just new trucks
The program lets candidates with partial certifications earn $71,966 while completing paramedic training, as Dearborn works to hire 16 firefighters and raise staffing to its highest level in 119 years amid a statewide paramedic shortage
Nashville police responded to Dierks Bentley Whiskey Row after a bartender was concerned that three on-duty firefighters in uniform, with department radios, had ordered mixed drinks, prompting their placement on administrative leave before resigning
Lowell’s unanimous vote aims to move the understaffed fire department toward its goal of 213 full-time firefighters and curb overtime costs that have threatened to exceed $4 million annually, amid ongoing station brownouts and sick leave disputes
Boulder plans to spend up to $10.25 million annually on voluntary wildfire hardening efforts across 12 western neighborhoods, as officials debate whether to eventually require hardening measures rather than relying on homeowner participation
Fire union leaders fear removing police from nonviolent 911 calls could endanger first responders if situations turn dangerous, as finance officials warn the $16.8 million Department of Neighborhood Safety could exhaust opioid settlement funding by 2032
Rigid schedules and unclear expectations are costing volunteer fire departments recruits
FDNY Chief of Department John Esposito explains why fire and EMS work best as one agency — and what’s driving the department’s EMS staffing crunch
The ballot measure would merge Pearl Fire Protection District into Spring Creek Fire Protection District, giving Spring Creek legal jurisdiction to improve service in Pearl, where it has already served as the contracted department for 25 years
The new Tazewell County Volunteer Fire Company organizes all 170 volunteers and 11 stations under three battalion chiefs, funded by a 4.7% meals tax, with plans to add a paid part-time engine crew by spring to address staffing shortages
Virginia Beach’s “compassionate billing” program, which doesn’t charge residents co-pays or deductibles, funded seven new ambulances and 43 new EMS hires while distributing $4.2 million to volunteer rescue squads that had struggled to keep pace with rising equipment costs
Is it resistance or the most honest feedback crews can provide?
How Palm Beach Gardens Fire Rescue implemented a prehospital whole blood program to improve care for hemorrhaging trauma and medical patients
With a hypothetical $2 million budget surplus, readers put people first, followed by new stations, apparatus and safety gear, while a few made the case for saving the money or spending it on morale
Gov. Josh Shapiro signed House Bill 2014, letting 14- and 15-year-old volunteers train until 10 p.m. on weekends and summer breaks instead of 9 p.m. and ride in emergency vehicles to calls
Facing a $2.2 million budget shortfall driven by low Medicare and Medicaid reimbursements, Baraboo and surrounding municipalities agreed to raise their combined contributions from 18% to 37% of the district’s budget
The Dundalk station’s beloved 45-year holiday attraction won’t return this year as its core group of builders shrinks and ages, mirroring a broader volunteer shortage that has also left the fire company short on apparatus-qualified members
Wells City Council will consider selling a surplus fire engine to help offset repair costs for the aerial ladder truck, part of a broader discussion on supporting the city’s volunteer fire department
Inconsistent discipline, eroding trust and leadership avoidance can signal deeper cultural problems that threaten firefighter safety and public confidence
All four rural emergency service districts showcased apparatus and fielded questions from residents at “Inside the Firehouse” to explain how tax dollars fund volunteer fire departments outside city limits
Ephrata Chief Jeremy Burns told the city council that EMS needs a sustainable funding source beyond the general fund, floating a voter-approved EMS levy or utility model used in nearby cities
The proposed authority would unify Manistee, Onekama, Stronach and Filer fire and EMS under full-time staffing, as officials cite shrinking volunteer ranks and slow mutual-aid response times to make the case for new township millages
Building on the 2024 World Fire Congress, UL Research Institutes’ monthly sessions will tackle issues like lithium-ion battery safety and firefighter health
After a bug zapper hazing led to the firing of three firefighters, St. Lucie County’s fire board voted to terminate Chief Jeff Lee without cause, following a union no-confidence vote
The union’s lawsuit alleges a third-party test found oil and particulates in the air used to fill SCBA cylinders, and that the city of Huntsville withheld records about it
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