Re: [californiadisasters] CA budget proposal to eliminate 4th

Any product or service one might pay for must provide either savings or
reduction of loss. Therefore, it makes huge sense for the fire service to be
telling how much loss was prevented.

In "Zero-Based Budgeting" (which is the 1970s term for what you're
describing), agency heads present a series of budget proposals, telling what
each level will buy in the way of services. (Back then, this was a fairly
radical departure from "last year, plus" budgeting.)

That's great for, say, Tourism, which can say, for example, "If we have XXX
dollars, we can provide and maintain tourist attractions and services, which
will bring in XXXX dollars to local business and XXX dollars in tax revenues
to the city." The challenge to the fire service is to show the path of
tax/budget dollars to reduced losses of life and property. The need is to
show that the public WILL pay, whether to the city in taxes, to fire
insurance companies because of increased risk, or in loss of life or
property. (Loss of property also means loss of tax base, don't forget.)

-------
My inventory of the first-in engine's personnel was pretty simple, and what
you've added, Rick, shows how even 4-0 staffing is insufficient to meet the
most basic modern standards. (A typical single-family house alarm now
includes one additional engine for "Rapid Intervention" resources, a full
crew whose only job is to be ready to instantly enter the fire building if
needed to rescue firefighters or civilians from calamity.)

----- Original Message -----
From: "Rick Bates" <HappyMoosePhoto@gmail.com>
To: <californiadisasters@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Thursday, January 13, 2011 3:28 PM
Subject: RE: [californiadisasters] CA budget proposal to eliminate 4th

> Fire departments don't often sell themselves effectively.
:
:
:

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