A Call to Fund Fire and Emergency Services

The recent proposal to update the fire brigade standard has brought heartburn to many departments and communities.  One of the loudest arguments coming from the volunteer fire service has been that communities will no longer be able to afford to support a fire department.  This may be a valid argument in many communities.  Rather than seeking to block the passage of regulation designed to improve the health and safety of responders, I propose a change in how we fund and support the fire and emergency services in, primarily, communities served by volunteer organizations.  This change calls for the adoption of a different tax system with incentives for supporting emergency services at the community level.  It also seeks to address the growing disconnect in communities between the community members, businesses, and emergency responders.

Many communities and states offer incentives for volunteer service and require that high school students volunteer in their communities.  Unfortunately, with the changing lifestyles of communities, businesses, and families, the fire and emergency services organizations are not seeing the desired benefit.  I am putting the following out for discussion and consideration by the emergency services community and policy makers.

1. Provide economic incentives to businesses for allowing employee participation in volunteer emergency services organizations. This includes raising business property taxes and then providing relief for allowing employees paid time off to attend training and respond to incidents. 
2. Similarly residential property taxes should be raised, with a reduction in the tax burden if the members of the home participate in their communities as volunteers.
3. Any money raised by the tax increases from those residents and businesses who do not choose to support the volunteer organizations is then funneled back to those organizations and used to support them. This would assist with reducing the administrative burden, improve funding, and if needed, support response incentives and hiring of personnel.

This concept allows individuals and businesses to choose to support their community organizations through either time and sweat equity or through economic support.  Either way, the organizations receive support and community members can demonstrate the value of emergency services.

What do you think?