NCJ Number
139469
Journal
MIS Report Volume: 23 Issue: 4 Dated: (April 1991) Pages: 1-22
Date Published
1991
Length
22 pages
Annotation
This report on the forecasting of the outcome of police-fire consolidations defines the quantifiable and nonquantifiable issues associated with a merger and identifies the key decisions, provides guidance to local officials on overcoming environmental barriers, and presents a mathematical methodology for predicting the impact on cost and performance of a proposed merger.
Abstract
The report first discusses the three decisions that determine the long-term cost-effectiveness of a police-fire merger: setting the number of personnel to be maintained in fire stations, setting the number of dual-trained officers on patrol, and setting the salary for dual-trained personnel. Each community that considers a police-fire merger faces a unique set of circumstances. These "environmental conditions" include issues such as the political, social, and physical composition of the community; the labor situation; and the managerial skills of the existing police and fire chiefs. This report discusses how to assess and address such environmental conditions. A model is provided for use in the assessment of the impact of a merger before commitment to a comprehensive study and plan. The analysis uses a Lotus spreadsheet model that estimates the range of impact of a merger on cost, patrol levels, and first-unit response time; it highlights the key decisions, variables, and trade-offs, using data from Auburn, Ala. Management issues discussed include personnel management, organizational structure, scheduling, equipment, communications, and training. 14-item bibliography and appended case studies of police-fire consolidation