Base consolidation decision on total response, not single factors

摘要

This is in reference to "Volunteer Fire Department Consolidation in Pennsylvania," by Victoria Mikulan (Volunteers Corner, July 2014). Mikulan espouses only one solution to several problems that are prevalent in municipalities protected by volunteer-staffed fire response. Consolidation of stations, companies, or departments must be examined in light of the total response picture, not just one factor, such as staffing. The Pennsylvania state fire commissioner has also espoused only one method of solving the staffing problem, consolidation, without actively supporting other approaches put forth by the fire community.