The Cons of Combining Police & Fire Departments

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  In October, 2010, the Naples, Florida, city council announced its intent to consider splitting its combined police and fire department into two distinct organizations. Cash-strapped cities often view combining police and fire departments as an economical option that preserves needed services and stretches limited resources. However, the example of Naples and other cities demonstrates that there are many problems associated with combining police and fire departments.

Teamwork

• According to the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC), consolidation dismantles the standard firefighting unit that is traditionally composed of personnel trained to deal with the urgent medical and safety situations associated with fires. The combined department has a reduced number of active, trained firefighters and creates an organization in which police officers are expected to fill in. The two groups do not regularly work together. The result is a diminished sense of teamwork and familiarity, which is essential to effective firefighting.

Prevention

• Independent fire departments organize many efforts focused upon prevention. The International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) lists safety inspections, attack pre-planning, public education, in-service training and emergency medical services as public services frequently provided by independent fire departments that are cut after consolidation. These preventative efforts play an important role in preventing fires and in improving response time. The loss of these preventative efforts hurts the local community by increasing the risk and severity of fires.

Cost

• Cost is often a major justification behind the decision to combine police and fire departments. However, the IAFF notes that the act of consolidation is very costly The process of cross-training city employees to fulfill both police and firefighter duties is costly and time-consuming. The city must also increase pensions, insurance and wages to compensate for the change in duties. As a result, efforts to save city costs through consolidation are actually counterproductive and will increase costs to taxpayers in the long run.

Low Morale

• The IAFF notes that cities attempting the consolidation of their fire and police departments report low morale. Turnover increases after consolidation. Low morale is a significant factor that contributes to costs as well because turnover forces the city to constantly train new employees to replace those choosing to leave.