Fire Department Question

[T'Girl]

If private fire departments existed, to whom would they be accountable?

It would be similar to the accountability of a private ambulance company. Contracted legal requirement and protections.

 

[mtblillie]

The only way I can think that a public fire service would be privatized is for them to follow the same concepts as private EMS services, either through a municipal contract (generally used to save the municipal government some money on red tape issues, or used to supplement the coverage area of a service already in place) or by insurance companies, which really would most likely be through home owners insurance and personal renters insurance etc, which would not likely pay for a fire dept on its own.

I imagine they are not contracted because it is cheeper to have a volunteer department and just pay for training and equipment then pay a private company for training, equipment, and full time service.

Fire departments typically have less red tape then an EMS service but are generally more expensive.

 

[J.T.B.]

There are also private fire services, with fire engines and all, employed by insurance companies in high-end fire-prone areas, mostly in California. They were also in the news a few years ago during the fires around Sun Valley, Idaho. I guess there is a lot of tension between them and the "public" fire agencies during a big wildfire, because they don't have to try to save every home, just the ones with policies, but if they get in trouble the public services have to help them out, too.

--Justin