Perhaps the best thing I have gotten to accomplish in my undergraduate career is the completion of a thesis concerning the issue of consolidation. This blog post is part of my thesis. I was lucky enough to present at the PA State Capital at a conference, be awarded one of the "Best Papers" at another conference, and am awaiting to hear on publication date from a firefighter magazine.
Volunteer
fire departments are common the United States. Approximately 73% of all departments in the
United States are volunteer-based, with some 800,000 volunteers. In Pennsylvania,
the fire departments are 96.1% volunteer, and the approximately 1,500
Pennsylvania volunteer fire departments produce a tax savings of approximately
$6.0 billion a year for state and local government, according to a report done
by the Pennsylvania’s Legislative Budget and Finance Committee.
These problems have caused serious strains on the
volunteer fire service in areas throughout the country, but Pennsylvania has
specifically experienced some issues. At one time, more departments were necessary
so that adequate units would respond to incidents in a timely manner. There
were issues with response times because of topography of areas and the
capabilities of apparatus. Now, with advances in these resources, that is not
the case. Today, many of these departments are suffering from such severe staffing
and funding shortages that they are sometimes unable to satisfactorily respond
to incidents or provide adequate equipment for their department. This includes
responding to incidents short-handed and responders not having personal
protection equipment to protect themselves. Naturally, this becomes a safety
issue as well, for both residents and first responders.
As volunteer firefighters respond to
a broader range of emergencies today, from medical emergencies to terrorism
incidents, more training is required. This is not easy for many volunteers,
which is one reason why there has been a steady decrease of volunteers of
approximately 8,000 per year since 1975, according to State Fire Commissioner
Ed Mann. However, volunteers are still
depended upon by many municipalities.
The overabundance of volunteer fire departments did
not happen overnight. It is a complex problem that has been created by a
variety of groups. There are aspects of
this problem that have been caused by the volunteer departments. Resources,
such as pieces of apparatus or specialized equipment, overlap unnecessarily in
municipalities or bordering municipalities to “keep up” with the other
departments. This results in money and resources that could have been
potentially spent or used somewhere in a more efficient manner. Neighboring
companies can have strained relationships with each other for the simple fact
of pride.
Some volunteer fire departments have
looked to consolidations as potential solutions, despite its unpopularity.
However, as the situation continues to get worse; it is time for departments to
act. Formal mutual aid agreements, mergers, regionalization, and consolidation
are all potential solutions to these problems, and some of these can evolve
into one another. These solutions all require change and cooperation, and the
levels of complexity vary. Consolidation, which is defined as two or more
companies combined operationally, financially, and legally to create one,
unified company as a new entity, new name, and new by-laws, is one way to try
and solve this problem. It is time consuming and can be difficult. However, an
operational consolidation has many potential benefits, which include increased
efficiency, increased cost-savings, improvement on utilizing resources, and
more, all of which can create an improved service provided to the public.
Consolidations can take a few years
to complete and may have failed attempts before a successful one occurs. There
are many obstacles that can make the process difficult. These include turf
wars, loss of volunteer membership, belief that consolidation is being used to
eliminate positions, underlying cultural issues, loss of identity, loss of
tradition, and feeling as if their department is “being taken over” can occur
throughout the process. Many of these obstacles do not affect the quality of
services that the fire department will ultimately provide. Although
consolidation can be risky, it is important to analyze each case on an
individual basis to decide what the best option would be. Each case is unique
which is what makes it difficult to decide the best option. The most important
concern should be providing the best service available to the public. Although
the idea of consolidation is not a new issue, the decline in resources has
caused it to be more widely recognized and volunteer firefighters are
acknowledging that it is time to act.
Increasing demands and dwindling resources have
caused the volunteer fire service to push its limits, burning out members, and
scrambling to find resources in order to keep up response and efficient protection.
Some fire departments have been looking into the potential of consolidating
departments. It involves the blending of cultures and loss of tradition. It is
a complex process that requires more than just input from the volunteer fire
departments affected. Commissioner Ed
Mann believes that the fire service is at its most critical point and that this
area has too many companies. While volunteer firefighters make up the majority
of Pennsylvania’s firefighters, there has been a severe drop in manpower: In
1976, Pennsylvania boasted 300,000 volunteer firefighters. Commissioner Mann
observes that as of 2012 the number has gone down to about 50,000 volunteers.
Despite the decline in volunteers, Pennsylvania has 2,400 volunteer
departments, which is much more than any other state. This also works out to
more than one fire department per municipality. Although the majority of
volunteer firefighters acknowledge that there are issues in response times,
funding, and staffing, consolidations are not a popular option. However, more
fire administrations are beginning to see the necessity of consolidations and
they are the ones looking for a solution.
Consolidations fail for several reasons, such as
failure in communication, source of pride, lack of trust, determining risk
versus benefit, and other legalities. Firefighters do not always respond well
to consolidations. Often, this occurs because of pride and rivalries between
companies and consolidations, if they occur, end up unsuccessful. Also,
firefighters tend to be less supportive of a consolidation forced by local
government entities. Although forced mergers may not be as successful, local
government involvement can be useful. Support from the local government tends
to produce more success according to Commissioner Mann. However, elected
officials often do not want to get involved, due to the negative political
publicity that can occur if something like a tax raise needs to occur and local
fire chiefs do not want to get local officials involved at times for fear of
losing their “power.”
Currently, there is a gap in knowledge and
communication between the fire departments, elected officials, and the public.
There are many negative connotations to the concept of consolidation, but it
can help provide better and more efficient services. Other areas of the
countries show successful consolidations. Often, these departments face very
similar obstacles and are looking at the same types of potential benefits and
drawbacks. The idea of consolidation is general, and it is often brought up
with the same goal intended: To create a more efficient response service.
Goals of consolidations often are similar, despite
differences in size. The goals of a Paseo County, Florida consolidation were
unifying, improving, and equalizing the fire service, centralizing and reducing
administration costs, to avoid duplication, strengthen purchasing power,
achieve a better insurance rating, and provide better training programs,
according to Frazier. Michael Curry’s “An Analysis of Proposed Four Fire
District Merger in Ada County” explains that Ada County, Idaho decided to approach
merger discussions again after noticing the service duplication, cost
comparisons, and noticing that service levels were drastically different
between agencies that were occurring. Gary R. Honeycutt cites one success in
Oregon, the Tualatin Valley Fire and Rescue merger that occurred in 1997. It
consisted of three companies that were stable but decided to consolidate, and
did so successfully, “improving service and lowering the tax burden.” This is a significant example because it
shows that departments do not necessarily have to be in a poor position,
whether it be financial or operational, to consolidate and still see a benefit.
Consolidating can improve on what already is working. It does not have to be a
final effort to save a cause.
Despite the benefits that a successful consolidation
can create, the obstacles that companies encounter are often similar as well
and need to be recognized and addressed. As the New York State guide “How to
Consolidate Fire Protection” notes, many of these obstacles are cultural. These
include perceived loss of power/control, turf wars, and even small details such
as the name of the station and color of the apparatus. These cultural problems,
which may seem petty to those not involved, can be the biggest stumbling block
and the main reason as to why consolidation discussions fail. Volunteer
firefighter and Captain Scott Garing Jr. of Zelienople, Pennsylvania stated
that egos were the biggest obstacles towards consolidations because of “people
losing control of their little piece of the pie.” Even from within, volunteer
firefighters are acknowledging the problem and their role in the obstacles.
There is also the issue of governance for the
volunteer fire service. For example, in Pennsylvania, the Emergency Medical
Services Act was initiated as an attempt by the General Assembly to “establish
and maintain an effective and efficient EMS system which is accessible on a
uniform basis to all PA residents and visitors of the Commonwealth,” and it
ultimately designated the Pennsylvania Department of Health as the EMS lead
agency for the Commonwealth and it was given the primary responsibility of
implementing the act. The Department of Health’s website describes its
responsibilities as “The department’s Bureau of Emergency Medical Services is
responsible for the statewide development and coordination of a comprehensive
system to prevent and reduce premature death and disability,” and the EMS
system is further broken down into 16 Regional Councils to guide their regions.
Currently, there is no comparable statute for the state fire service. The State
Fire Commissioner’s office oversees the training programs and certifications
offered, assists with the Volunteer Loan Assistance Program and the Fire
Company and Volunteer Ambulance Service Grant Program, Public Education and
Information program, and other programs. Not having such a governing body has
resulted in the state’s fire service lacking “clear and consistent statutory
definition and standards and an overall direction for system planning and
development.” Fire departments have to
answer to multiple entities. Improvements need to be made for government, as in
more concise and specific government entities. If the fire service were to fall
under one government office (the State Fire Commissioner), then it would create
clearer lines of communication and an easier route to find resources.
There are obstacles that do directly affect the
operational services provided. Training standards are often a stumbling block
for fire companies. In Pennsylvania, there is no set statute for the fire
service to efficiently and effectively govern them, as according to the
Legislative Finance and Budget Committee’s report on Regionalizing Pennsylvania
Volunteer Fire Departments. Various sections of law (both at state and
municipal levels) govern the fire service, which creates a lack of consistent
definitions and guidance. This can affect training standards, which then can be
decided by the individual companies. In fact, there are no Pennsylvania standards
concerning firefighting training at all. Firefighters are only required to
obtain certifications in hazardous materials awareness and be compliant in the
National Incident Management Systems courses. Other requirements for training
stem from the National Fire Protection Association and the Occupational Safety
and Health Association for insurance coverage and legal protection. Departments
may have different opinions on what is a sufficient amount of training for a
volunteer firefighter, even with using NFPA guidelines. Different volunteer
departments have different standards. Training requirements can be set by the
municipalities but are more often dictated by the company. Multiple departments
in the same municipality can have varied training standards, and each company
can have many reasons as to why their way is the correct way. That can cause tension in consolidation talks
between companies on deciding how much training to require because it affects
volunteers’ time, but it can also affect safety. For a variety of reasons, the
obstacles caused by training are key factors in consolidations.
I surveyed approximately 30 firefighters in Western Pennsylvania on this issue, and it was established that volunteer
firefighters are recognizing the same types of obstacles and factors affecting
consolidations. However, some differences in answers were significant because
they represent the gaps in knowledge for firefighters. All volunteer firefighters
involved with the consolidating companies need to have a voice. Without their
input, the problem cannot be understood thoroughly, and therefore cannot be
answered adequately. No matter what the end result, they are the ones who are
going to have to adapt and succeed at whatever consolidations and changes do or
do not come about.
Although every volunteer fire company’s situation is
different, there is often overlap in how the companies operate. Therefore, many
departments are facing the same types of obstacles. This requires the same type
of equipment and resources needed to respond to emergency incidents. Volunteer departments
know what type of incidents that they tend to respond to and what equipment is
most often used. Also, most departments use
automatic aid for incidents which can request specific units for certain
incidents. Evaluating this is one way to thoroughly understand what resources
are in a department’s response area.
This point
is emphasized by local firefighters; they are acknowledging the overlap of
equipment. Evaluating each municipality’s individual needs and relationships
with neighboring municipalities can result in allowing companies to better
understand what they do and do not need. It also can emphasize where
consolidations need to occur. Consolidating resources is a way to ease
financial difficulties. Many of these volunteer fire departments have been
around for decades; they know what type of incidents tend to occur and what
would be pertinent to their needs. The culture of volunteer fire service has
many believing that they have to always have the best and newest equipment in
order to prove their worth to other departments. This is a cultural problem
that needs to be addressed from within the fire service.
While there are these issues at a higher level,
firefighters also know it needs to be addressed from within. In some areas, consolidation has been successful, but the
difficulties were acknowledged. Adams Area (Pennsylvania) Assistant Fire Chief
Richard Mann explains that Adams Area’s consolidation’s biggest obstacle was
attitudes against consolidation, and that it came down to convincing those
members of “The real meaning of our goals…to provide service to the community.”
Mann believes that his department has improved when it comes to pride and
loyalty, and that they are now a more cohesive unit. The Adams Area
consolidation was ultimately successful in creating more efficient public
safety to its residents.
Beliefs on who should consolidate are varied. While
a majority believed that it would be best for smaller companies or companies
that reside in municipalities with multiple volunteer fire companies, there is some
support for widespread consolidation. Berkeley Hills Volunteer Fire Company
Deputy Chief Scott Story believes that Western Pennsylvania would be a premiere
starting point for volunteer fire department consolidations in the
Commonwealth. Others believed that widespread consolidation will become
necessary as well. Scott Garing thinks that, “Every fire department should
consolidate with one other department. Reduce the expenditures by half
throughout the state. It’s plausible to an extent. There are some rural
companies that would not be able to do that. I would say any fire department
that is within 10-15ish miles of another fire company should have to
consolidate with that company.” For others, the difficulty of consolidation was
acknowledged, but so was the eventual necessity of it and the benefits that
could occur from it. City of Pittsburgh Assistant Chief Thomas Cook, once a
volunteer firefighter and also an instructor, states:
I believe that where it makes sense,
consolidation of fire departments in Allegheny County needs to occur. There is
a significant waste of resources duplicating service. In my experience, mergers
and consolidations do not save anyone money. But from an operational
standpoint, it allows resources to be deployed in the community where they are
most needed based upon risk analysis, not just because a fire company “wants”
to be a truck company or rescue company. Over extended time periods, this will
save money by reducing the number of apparatus in the field. But I do not
believe, except in very rare cases that in Allegheny County there need to be closures
of fire stations.
Overall, there is a general agreement that resources
are being duplicated in Western Pennsylvania. Consensus occurred that
consolidations could increase efficiency and public safety, but the ways
firefighters believed that it would varied. Some believed that better training,
better equipment, improved response times, and staffing would improve to
provide better public safety. When asked about alternatives to consolidations, suggestions
included paid departments, shutting down stations, more fundraising, and
internal/external reviews of departments.
There are those that believe consolidation will
become the only option for the volunteer fire service, which means a lot of
changes could be coming for the volunteer fire service. The most important
factor concerning consolidation is how it will affect the safety that
departments will provide. Some of the firefighters who believed that
consolidations are the only solution also believed that providing less safety
would not be an issue and would not occur. However, several firefighters in
support of consolidation recognized potential safety drawbacks. Slower response
times and gaps in coverage were the main concerns. Rural company consolidations
were also a concern for providing less safety.
Many firefighters also recognized that much of the
problem comes from within. When asked about what were the biggest obstacles
towards consolidations, the majority of firefighters answered that it fell in
the spectrum of tradition, pride, and attitude/understanding.
Throughout the survey, the firefighters noted that
the public, while not always having a clear and thorough understanding of what
services are provided, they do expect quick and professional response whenever
they need to call 911. It is very important to keep the public informed and
educated on consolidation matters. While some citizens may not care, others
will be very concerned as to how the level of service will change. Just as
lines of communication need to remain open and clear within the consolidating
companies, the public needs to be kept informed as well.
Often, it is debated who should be involved with
consolidation discussions. Involvement of elected officials is often debated,
but their input is necessary. As Commissioner Mann explains, Pennsylvania is a
Commonwealth; therefore, public safety decisions are left to the local
governments and citizens. In a situation that is already affected by power
struggles, this can make it even tenser. The lack of cooperation between
entities and groups does not provide the community with any more safety.
Local
governments and elected officials need to become involved with consolidation,
despite volunteer fire departments feelings towards them. While some believed
that they should care about it, the majority had negative thoughts towards the
elected officials, believing that they were not concerned, or only concerned
about the financial aspects and the choices that would get them reelected. If a
fire company is going to enter in consolidation discussions, it is necessary to
establish that the ultimate goal is how-to provide the best service for their
response areas. Commissioner Mann recommends that local governments do get more
involved and that it is necessary because Pennsylvania is a Commonwealth.
Decisions concerning public safety are ultimately left to the local government
and the citizens. He does not believe that the Commonwealth will ever enforce
consolidations, but perhaps one day they will be able to put money into an
incentive program. He states that in his experience, local government
involvement usually means a more successful consolidation. Ultimately,
Commissioner Mann thinks that the solution will come by working together:
At the end of the day, it is going to take a
partnership between state [government], local [government], and the volunteer
fire companies to level the problem off and fix with what we have. We have to
do better with what we have. Look at the entire system-fire, EMS, and career.
Take a system approach to it and make it better.
A countywide evaluation can be a valuable resource
to volunteer fire companies in understanding what resources and services are
needed where. Thomas Cook stated that, “A countywide deployment model needs to
be created and then stations equipped and staffed as determined by the risk
analysis used to develop the deployment model.” While such a study may be time
consuming and costly, it can look at the operations of volunteer fire
departments and establish what departments are producing and providing for the
public. This study would look at quantitative data provided by the companies-it
would be able to take out some of the cultural obstacles of consolidation.
Equipment and apparatus would need to be inventoried. Incidents would be broken
down by response times, average number of responders, and types of incidents
responded to (fires, motor vehicle accidents, hazardous materials, etc.).
Training certifications would also need to be inventoried to see where
responders are getting educated. Financial information would be analyzed as
well, such as fundraising, savings, and debt load to see if one department’s
financial problems would hurt another department if they took it on.
Such a deployment model would not be a fix-all
solution. It could potentially match up companies to consolidate with, but
other factors will need to be considered as well. There are guides in existence for how to
consolidate fire departments that should be used as well. This is where some of
the cultural aspects of a department can be analyzed and understood and where
firefighters can voice their specific concerns. These guides are valuable to
keeping the lines of communication open and readily available. Without clear
communication, consolidations will be set up for failure. It also helps explain
who should be involved in a consolidation and factors that should be
considered. Ideas for a plan of action can be developed from these guidelines.
One suggestion that is given is a SWOT analysis which involves identifying
strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats, which can be a good way for
fire departments to establish their levels of service. While they are “guides”
and not definitive answers, it can be a good starting point for consolidation
discussions.
Consolidations need to be considered by a
case-by-case basis. However, surveying firefighters from different departments
established that it is in the opinion of the majority that consolidations need
to begin occurring for the survival of the volunteer fire service and for the
best protection of the citizens. Individual discussions between two or three
departments are slowly or not consolidating departments. More guidance is
needed. Therefore, it is recommended that an evaluation occur of the volunteer
fire service. In the instance of Western Pennsylvania, a countywide deployment
model could be useful. Departments need to be evaluated on inventories, qualifications,
locations, financial status, and incident responses to establish similarities
in service so that gaps in service can be identified, along with duplication of
services. From this, working alongside municipal governments, the amount of
resources needed and expected (equipment, apparatus, and fire stations) can be
deployed into each municipality to provide the optimal amount of safety. For
some municipalities, it may not result in changes. It may be a significant
amount of change for others. However, without evaluating the state of the
volunteer fire service, improvements will occur at a slow pace. Volunteer fire
departments need to become more readily involved and adaptable to change, and
make sure that those who need to be consulted are. Consolidation affects much
more than the companies consolidating. It is not a decision to be taken
lightly, and needs to be thoroughly researched and understood.
Consolidations are occurring across the country in
different realms of public safety. Some areas are seeing EMS and fire companies
consolidate for medical response and rescue; others are consolidating paid,
volunteer, or combination departments. There are many years of tradition that
will be affected by consolidating departments. However, it is a new beginning.
Both volunteer firefighters and elected officials should not consider what is
popular or best for power or personal agendas, but what will provide the best
safety for the residents and the people that they serve in both the short and
long-term.
Such an evaluation can allow
companies to look at both the big and small picture. Departments will be able to establish where
the gaps in service are and what resources are needed. By taking a look at the
entire situation, companies can analyze it to their specific needs. Without,
change occurring, it can begin to risk not only their safety, but the safety of
others as well.
Volunteer fire departments should
support the idea of an evaluation and deployment model. This can help
departments start consolidating fire departments within and between
municipalities. With the past case studies evaluated, they were all the result
of analysis to try and complete a consolidation or some type of operational
change which altered had a company provided its safety. Current guides from
insurance should be used for consolidation discussions once it is established
which departments will attempt to consolidate. Before departments reach that
level of discussions, more quantitative data should be the focus of deciding
what companies should consolidate so that the best service will be ultimately
provided. While creating such a model and utilizing will not be an easy, quick,
or cheap process, it may help departments establish where there are
inefficiencies and make it easier when they do decide to consolidate.
Government entities need to provide aid to the fire
service as well. Establish more concise models for the volunteer fire
departments to follow. Local governments need to be involved, but work with the
volunteer fire companies, not try to push a decision unto them. It is a
cooperative effort. Classes are available on consolidations and how to decide
whether or not it is the choice for a municipality. Elected officials need to
take advantage of these classes and educational guides. Firefighters need to
allow “outsiders” (elected officials, citizens, etc.) to participate in their
consolidation discussions so that other perspectives can allow for different
ideas to be considered.
Solutions do exist to this problem. As it is a
sensitive topic, it appears that it will be left to the volunteer fire
companies to make change. By working with other entities, resources can be
altered to be used more efficiently and provide better services. If volunteer
fire departments were to work together, changes may be able to come about more
quickly, while also being more thoroughly researched. Departments need to show
that they are willing to work together to solve this problem, that will
emphasize to other entities the severity of the problem. More research needs to
occur, at municipal and county levels, and potential consolidations need to be
analyzed. The state of the volunteer fire service needs to be reevaluated so
that departments can make decisions to be able to provide the best level of
safety. Ultimately, it needs to be
understood that all changes should be made in the best interests of public
safety.
