The Senate Veteran Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee published a report titled The Challenges of Fire Fighting Today in the 2013-2014 Legislative Session of the US Senate. In it, they identify the biggest hurdle for firefighters and Fire Departments to be a lack of money. Among the solutions suggested is to allow fire companies to charge fees.
Innovapad helps fire departments maintain equipment and keep up-to-date with training and technology. A 2014 article by Andrew Brown of the New York Times illustrates why our program is so crucial to fire departments nationwide.
“A fire engine costs $400,000 more than it did 30 years ago. In surveys, firefighters consistently cite the endless burden of fund-raising, which takes up to 60 percent of their work time, as one of the biggest deterrents to staying on the job….
Firefighters’ duties have also shifted. In many departments, a vast majority of calls are for medical emergencies, not fires. Much like emergency room doctors, volunteer firefighters are increasingly serving as primary care providers. They are also routinely dispatched for water rescues, vehicle entrapments, hazardous material spills and drug overdoses.”
The IAFC (International Association of Fire Chiefs) has stated:
Cost recovery is a reasonable option in a time when communities are facing the possibility of raising taxes to cover the actual costs, or lowering the services provided by the fire department, for example, by increasing response times.
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