- Author
- Oster, G. | Holmes, M. S. | Breuch, P.
- Title
- Staffing Patterns of Combination/Career Fire Departments in Iowa.
- Coporate
- Fire Service Institute, Ames, IA
- Keywords
- fire departments | fire fighters
- Abstract
- Fire departments in Iowa organize at the local level. City councils and township trustees have a continuing responsibility to decide which services, as well as the level of services, to provide their citizens. Once these decisions are made, there is the additional task of staffing and equipping the fire department to provide the quantity and quality of services desired. Research conducted by the Fire Service Institute in 1996 found that 90 percent of the fire departments in Iowa are staffed entirely by volunteers. An additional 2 percent are staffed mainly by volunteers, 4 percent are combination volunteer/career and 4 percent are staffed entirely by career personnel. Recent research has shown that within these percentages, there is a constant shifting in staffing patterns as cities adapt to provide the desired level of services. Unfortunately, there is no magic formula for determining the optimal staffing structure and over time, needs and responsibilities will change. The accompanying chart provides information on fire departments with at least one paid position and shows the current number and types of positions in combination/career departments. This research focuses on fire related positions, and does not include positions that are specific to emergency medical services. Research being conducted through summer and fall will continue to add information on staffing patterns, budgets and organizational structure. The long term goal of this research is to focus on the changes (or transitions) that fire departments experience over time, and report successful strategies for meeting the challenges of change. The fire departments are listed according to the population of the city in which they are based with the population numbers taken from 1990 Census data.