Funding for

 

Pennsylvania Emergency Services ...

 

... Beyond 2001

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pennsylvania Fire and Emergency Services Institute

223 State Street

Harrisburg, PA  17101

 

Phone: 717-236-5995

Fax: 717-236-5996

Email: Fireservpa@aol.com

Website: www.pfsi.org

 

 

BACKGROUND

In 1994, the Pennsylvania Fire and Emergency Services Institute produced a funding study detailing how much money Pennsylvania’s taxpayers are saved by volunteer fire and emergency services already at work in their communities. This 2001 report provides an update of that 1994 study.

Volunteer firefighters and emergency service workers already contribute a great deal of personal time and energy responding to calls, undergoing rigorous training, raising funds for operations and maintaining equipment at their stations.

Firefighters today respond to not only fire calls but also to automobile accidents, hazardous-materials incidents, threats of terrorism and emergency medical calls -- all requiring intensive training and specific response equipment. Such activity demands a substantial time commitment from volunteer schedules already crowded with work and family responsibilities, particularly in today's more common two-income households.

Of prime concern lately, however, has been a steep and steady decline in the numbers of volunteers attracted to these vital services in Pennsylvania. Although the number of fire companies has remained fairly stable over the past ten years, the same cannot be said of the number of volunteers. In fact, studies done by the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development put the total number of currently active firefighters at about 70,000, down dramatically from about 75,000 in 1995, a 6 percent decline in just six years. (Because of the fluid nature of the volunteer services, figures used within this project obviously are approximate.)

As the number of volunteer firefighters continues to decline, logic dictates that raising money to operate fire companies consequently will become more difficult, perhaps requiring increased funding from municipalities, a move likely to result in higher municipal taxes.

This study was conducted to provide baseline information on what Pennsylvania citizens and their elected officials could face if the number of fire-protection and emergency-service volunteers continues its current downward trend. Although these estimates were compiled with a bias to be as conservative as possible, they nevertheless offer an alarming picture of the potential problem and its ultimate costs.

Several Pennsylvania-based resources, including the Office of the State Fire Commissioner and the Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED), provided the statistics upon which many of our assumptions have been made. We appreciate their assistance.

 

 

 

ASSUMPTIONS

Serving the state's 67 counties are 2,462 fire companies, 2,366 (or about 96 percent) of which are all volunteer. The balance includes 73 "combination" companies (served by volunteers and career firefighters) and 23 fully paid municipal departments. The Department of Community and Economic Development estimates that among volunteer companies now in operation, only about 10 percent are financially sound.

According to “Supporting Volunteer Fire Services in Pennsylvania” – a report on survey results of House Resolution 67, Governor’s Center for Local Government Services (July 1999), conducted by the Department of Community and Economic Development, ...

·        the average annual cost (including benefits) of one paid firefighter is about $55,000.

·        municipal budget totals (grouped into three categories) also captured the average allocations municipalities make to their fire companies.

municipal budget                           fire company allocation

Ø      less than $1 million                                                 $15,950

Ø      $1 million to $2 million                                           $22,650

Ø      more than $2 million                                               $91,200

NOTES

Municipal budget totals reflect expenses for entire municipalities, not just fire services.

Among all three budget categories, the statewide average for municipal allocation to a fire company was $43,266.

In most municipalities, multiple volunteer fire companies share a single municipal allocation.

A 1999 Statewide Fire Apparatus Survey conducted by the Pennsylvania Fire and Emergency Services Institute further showed that ...

·        the average fire company maintains about four emergency-service vehicles.

·        most fire companies (about 63 percent) reported that emergency responses or company functions typically drew between 11 and 20 active members.

·        independent operating budgets of reporting fire companies were almost evenly divided into four groups:

Ø      23% with budgets of less than $25,000.

Ø      23% with budgets of between $25,000 and $50,000.

Ø      more than 27% with budgets of between $50,000 and $100,000.

Ø      about 26% with budgets of more than $100,000.

The study by the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development also showed that each fire company serves ...

·        an area of approximately 18.4 square miles

·        a total average population of about 3,984

Based upon a standard developed by the Delaware Auditor General’s Office, one fire company typically can serve about 10,000 citizens. Using that basis, Pennsylvania would need more than the 1,000 fire companies to provide coverage across all 67 counties, based upon current population figures alone. Obviously, numerous economic, political, geographic and historical factors have determined the locations and numbers of volunteer fire companies serving today.

This report uses that "one-company-per-10,000-citizens" rule of thumb to estimate total costs. Further, we assumed that each active fire company could operate efficiently with a complement of 20 firefighters.

Our resulting calculations were made based on costs to establish1,500 fire companies and 2,000 fire companies to illustrate the comparative savings provided by volunteers in most Pennsylvania communities.

 

FIREFIGHTER BENEFITS AND SALARY COSTS    

From “Supporting Volunteer Fire Services in Pennsylvania” – a report on survey results of House Resolution 67, Governor’s Center for Local Government Services (July 1999), we know that the average career firefighter costs a municipality about $55,000 annually, including benefits.

That means that the individual staff cost of ...       $     55,000

to compensate every firefighter in a company ...        X            20

would total up to ...                                                         $1.1 million

Expanding those figures then, would mean that paying staff for ...

1,500 fire companies would require

                                                   statewide compensation costs of

                                                                                       $1.65 billion

and 2,000 fire companies would require

                                                   statewide compensation costs of

                                                                                   $2.2 billion

 

 

 

 

 

 

FIRE COMPANY OPERATING COSTS

Because operating budgets for reporting fire companies were so diverse, we divided them into four categories:

Ø      less than $25,000

Ø      between $25,000 and $50,000

Ø      between $50,000 and $100,000

Ø      more than $100,000

That being the case, then ...

if all 1,500 fire companies maintained

         annual operating budgets of      then statewide operating costs would be

                                   $  25,000                         $  37.50 million

                                   $  37,500                         $  56.25 million

                                   $  75,000                         $112.50 million

                                  $100,000                         $150.00 million

and if all 2,000 fire companies maintained

         annual operating budgets of      then statewide operating costs would be

                                   $  25,000                         $  50.00 million

                                   $  37,500                         $  75.00 million

                                   $  75,000                         $150.00 million

                                  $100,000                         $200.00 million

Using an average of all four operating-budget categories, then ...

1,500 fire companies would require

                                                           statewide operating costs of

                                                                                  $  89.06 million

and 2,000 fire companies would require

                                                           statewide operating costs of

                                                                                  $118.75 million

 

PERSONAL PROTECTIVE CLOTHING COSTS

Because firefighters are exposed to extreme temperatures and a variety of other hazards with each call, the protective clothing they wear (both in stations and on fire grounds) must protect them well. Technology has provided the means by which such personnel may be protected, but such equipment generally comes at a high cost.

 

 

 

 

 

According to sources at Moul Enterprises, Inc., protecting the typical firefighter today requires an investment of ...

air pack                      $ 3,000

protective coat           $   895

protective pants         $   678

helmet                         $   400

pager                          $   400

boots                          $   250

gloves                         $     40

Nomex hood              $     25

Total                            $ 5,688

 

That means that the individual cost of ...                  $    5,688

to protect every firefighter in one company ...                X         20

would accumulate to a total of ...                                     $113,760

Expanding those figures then, would mean that ...

1,500 fire companies would require

                                           statewide personal protection costs of

                                                                                  $170.64 million

and 2,000 fire companies would require

                                           statewide personal protection costs of

                                                                                  $227.52 million

 

 

APPARATUS AND EQUIPMENT COSTS              

Firefighters use apparatus and equipment that accounts for the most costly capital expenditures made by fire companies. The National Fire Protection Association recommends specific portable equipment to be carried on each particular piece of apparatus. Relevant standards currently in use are ...

Ø      NFPA 1901 -- standard on initial fire, rescue and utility apparatus

Ø      NFPA 1903 -- standard on equipment carried on mobile water-supply apparatus and

Ø      NFPA 1904 -- standard on equipment carried on aerial fire apparatus.

Using those NFPA standards for portable equipment, we added figures obtained from Moul Enterprises, Inc., as resource for approximate costs.

The following table details a conservative estimate of retail purchase price for each of the following types of apparatus and the minimum portable equipment based on NFPA standards.

apparatus

apparatus

cost

cost of NFPA

standard equipment

Total

engine

$300,000

$18,000

$318,000

aerial truck

$650,000

$35,000

$685,000

tanker

$225,000

$  7,000

$232,000

rescue truck

$425,000

$18,000

$443,000

utility vehicle

$  45,000

$18,000

$  63,000

brush truck

$  75,000

 

$  75,000

ambulance

$115,000

 

$115,000

 

estimated costs to provide statewide equipped apparatus

equipped apparatus

for 1,500 fire companies

for 2,000 fire companies

engines

$   477.0 million

$   636.0 million

aerial trucks

$1,027.5 billion

$1,370.0 billion

tanker trucks

$   348.0 million

$   464.0 million

rescue trucks

$   664.5 million

$   886.0 million

utility vehicles

$     94.5 million

$   126.0 million

brush trucks     

$   112.5 million

$   150.0 million

ambulances

$   172.5 million

$   230.0 million

NOTE: These estimates DO NOT include ongoing maintenance costs for apparatus, but reflect ONLY the estimated retail purchase values of each emergency-service vehicle.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

summary of estimated costs to maintain statewide fire services

operating expenses

cost item

for 1,500 fire companies

for 2,000 fire companies

personnel

$1,650.000 billion

$2,200.000 billion

operations

$     89.063 million

$   118.750 million

operating expense to maintain career companies

$1,739.063 million

$2,318.750 million

 

capital equipment expenses

protective clothing

$   170.640 million

$   227.520 million

equipped engines

$   477.000 million

$   636.000 million

equipped aerial trucks

$1,027.500 billion

$1,370.000 billion

equipped tanker trucks

$   348.000 million

$   464.000 million

equipped rescue trucks

$   664.500 million

$   886.000 million

equipped utility vehicles

$     94.500 million

$   126.000 million

capital expenses to create career companies

$2,782.140 million

$3,709.520 million

 

TOTAL fire service value

$4,521.203 billion

$6,028.270 billion

 

less personnel expense

$1,650.000 billion

$2,200.000 billion

less municipal contributions

$     21.497 million

$     28.662 million

 

value of service now provided by volunteers through independent fundraising

$2,849.706 billion

$3,799.608 billion

CONCLUSIONS

This Pennsylvania Fire & Emergency Services Institute study on cost-savings realized by Pennsylvania taxpayers because of volunteer services paints an alarming picture of the potential – and realistic -- costs to fully fund career fire departments across the Commonwealth.

Upon reviewing the previous Cost Summary table, the amazing contribution made by Pennsylvania volunteers becomes quite clear. Emergency-services volunteers in this state contribute time and money approaching a value of approximately $6 billion to protect our hometowns.

Of their own volition, volunteers like these have raised nearly $3.8 billion to fund training, emergency-response operations, equipment and apparatus to provide service at a level that most Pennsylvanians take for granted.

Figure 1 below illustrates that the greatest expenses for volunteer fire companies are attributed apparatus and protective clothing costs. (Personnel expenses generally affect only career companies.) With costs of such goods always on the rise, meeting expenses remains a major challenge for fire companies that lack significant funding from their own municipalities. Such funding shortfalls require volunteers to devote even more personal time to raising funds necessary to maintain their operations.

 

Figure 1

Figure 2 below compares results of the 1994 Fire Institute study to those developed in 2001, revealing that the "real cost" to provide emergency services in Pennsylvania has increased markedly in the past six years.

The total value provided by Pennsylvania emergency services rose from $4.5 billion in 1994 to about $6 billion, an appreciation of nearly 33 percent. Such a jump illustrates that costs of equipment, apparatus, protective clothing and personnel all have risen steadily.

The value of service now provided by volunteers through their own independent fundraising grew even more dramatically, more than doubling in just six years from $1.83 billion in 1994 to $3.8 billion in 2001. Such a significant increase we believe reveals that Pennsylvania volunteers, though fewer in number, are working harder than ever to compensate for the lack of any substantial funding by their own munici