There is Much You Can Do to Remain Reliable and Viable

摘要

During the 1990s, local and state governments struggled to stay afloat during a recession that required fire and EMS departments to rethink their corporate structure and redefine their roles in government. New terms were created, such as downsize, right size, and delayer, all used to identify strategies that reduced cost. Now we find ourselves in the midst of another more severe recession that has the public and ultimately the media criticizing firefighter salaries and retirement systems. Many fire service leaders wonder why the focus is now on fire departments. The fact is we had been given a mulligan for the first few years of the recession. Many public-safety departments were not significantly harmed during the early stages of this recession. But now, most options for reducing government costs have been exhausted, taking us to this point where every agency, every contingency is on the table. Simply, it is our turn.