Fairfax, VA – Staffing, funding and increased demands for service are three common and resounding challenges facing fire departments across the United States, according to an e-mail survey conducted by the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC). More than 1,000 IAFC members responded to the November 2005 survey.
The top three challenges cited overall were staffing (61 percent of respondents listed this as a concern), funding (55 percent), and increased demands for service (23 percent). Volunteer departments listed staffing as their most common challenge, while career departments listed financial problems as their top issue. Other commonly cited challenges were training firefighters and fire officers (21.9 percent); issues with personnel and labor groups (16.2 percent); and the need for new equipment to replace an aging fleet or to comply with new standards (11.9 percent).
At the urging of the IAFC and the other major fire service organizations, Congress appropriated $545 million for the FIRE grant program and $110 million for the SAFER grant program. The FIRE grants provide matching grants for fire departments to purchase equipment and training. The SAFER grants provide matching grants to hire firefighters in career fire departments and develop recruitment and retention initiatives for volunteer fire departments. Both of these programs use a peer review process to ensure that federal funds go to the fire departments that demonstrate the greatest need. In addition, Congress appropriated $44.9 million for the U.S. Fire Administration, which oversees the National Fire Academy.
Highlights of the Survey
- The most common challenge facing fire departments is recruiting and maintaining qualified staff. Fire departments are being forced to reduce staff while facing increased call volume and new responsibilities.
- Nearly every issue had a link to fire department budgets; many respondents indicated that tax revenues are insufficient and that there is a significant need for additional funds to maintain status quo and to meet elevated demands for service.
- Fire chiefs noted a need to secure and maintain grant money to help offset some of the costs of running their departments.
- Increased demands for services were commonly cited as a major challenge; respondents are facing rapid community growth and additional expectations for their departments, such as preparing for potential terrorist attacks or a possible outbreak of pandemic flu.
- Departments also indicated that training to meet federally required standards would be a challenge, particularly finding the time and money to conduct the training.
About the Survey
On Nov. 10, 2005, the IAFC launched the electronic survey to 10,060 members with e-mail addresses, asking them to identify the challenges and problems they expect to face in 2006, as well as how the IAFC can help them address these issues. As of December 1, 2005, 1,268 individuals responded.
The intent of the survey was not to obtain data for purely statistical purposes; rather, the intent was to obtain an accurate picture of the issues and challenges facing the leaders of the fire service and their departments.
