Alternative Service Delivery

The variation in services offered by fire departments are the greatest opportunity for alternative service delivery, and can come in a variety of different ways. Small communities can contract their fire services with a neighboring community, known as an interlocal agreement where a fee is paid in exchange for fire protection. Service delivery can also be shared between two departments to cut down on costs. The 911 dispatch system can be shared between the police and fire services, or one department can provide the service to the other department. This are also methods for one department to raise revenue by providing the service to another.

Providing emergency medical services (EMS) is another service that provides the option for alternative service delivery. Fire departments can provide transportation services as a part of EMS or they can provide the EMS personnel. Having an ambulance to provide transportation can bring in revenue to offset the cost of the service, as they can bill for transporting patients.

Local public managers may also consider the ways that local agencies can collaborate to deliver services more efficiently, rather than fixing on the siloed thinking of the past. For example, in the fire department, success has been noted in firefighters helping to identify juvenile fire setters who may be acting from deeper mental health issues, rather than youthful curiosity. Fire departments have teamed with mental health professionals to develop a questionnaire to identify these at-risk youth, and have developed protocols to find the most appropriate solutions. The expansion of fire services beyond the domain of fire and emergency response offers opportunities for more innovative service delivery.