Fire Rescue EMS Financial Articles and News

By Brian Griffith and John Kelley | 01/11/2012

Most fire departments ask two questions when circumstances require that they either build a new station or renovate and/or build an addition to their existing facility. Those questions are, “What does it cost?” and “When can we move in?” If your department is in this position, this article will attempt to assist in answering the first question. Read More...

Relevant Tags: cost, fire, future, design, build, site, building, maintenance, initial cost, future maintenance, maintenance costs, life cycle, new station, design build

Loren Pittman | 01/11/2012

The decision to take out a new loan is usually a pretty simple process driven by the need for a new truck, equipment, a station renovation or development, or a real estate purchase. The loan process is pretty straightforward, too. You select the best rate, terms and payments to fit your budget. The decision to refinance current debt, however, is often more complicated. The reasons and benefits may be unclear, and you may not fully understand how to go about it. The tendency is to stick with what you know. Instead, take some time to consider refinancing. It may be the perfect solution for your department. Read More...

Relevant Tags: loan, payments, debt, refinance, costs, payment, new loan, real estate, annual payments, existing loans, loan officer, refinance debt, loan process

Dale Wade | 10/14/2011

(This is part one of a two-part series.) What are the differences in fire behavior and control between structural and wildland fires? What are a few possible misconceptions some of you may have? The purpose of this article is to pass on a few facts and suggestions that you might find useful. I did call on a number of folks that are much more knowledgeable about the brushfire capabilities of VFDs and RFDs than I am, but the following is my assessment and I take full responsibility for what I say. I welcome any feedback, both positive and negative, and will try to answer any wildland fire questions you might have. I begin with some general com... Read More...

Relevant Tags: Wildfire, fire, wildland fire, fire behavior, fire suppression, urban interface, north carolina, fighting wildfire

Steve Baird | 10/14/2011

Choosing the lowest cost in a competitive market sometimes equates to harvesting the first whitetail that comes along. If you only had the opportunity to harvest one buck in a lifetime, would you be selective about when and where you spend your time hunting, or would any tree stand suffice. Would it be important to understand patterns of whitetail before you head out into the great unknown? Getting the most bang for your buck is not always what it seems. Watch the Outdoor Channel, and you’ll believe there is a trophy buck that mysteriously appears every time. They make it look easy; therefore everyone can do it. What they’re not showing is al... Read More...

Relevant Tags: design, fire, station, cost, budget, design build, fire ems, overhead doors, new station, project design

Loren Pittman | 10/14/2011

As a society, we are faced with one of the most challenging economic times in our lives. Like a vast majority of individuals navigating this difficult environment, you may find it tough to make decisions on where to invest, or more importantly, where not to invest your personal investment dollars. The same may be true for your department’s investable funds. Read More...

Relevant Tags: loan, fire, department, savings, payment, rate, down payment, annual payments, equipment apparatus, scenario term, payment loan, rate percent

By Ken Newell | 07/05/2011

“Money’s tight!” You hear that everywhere, especially if you’re trying to get a loan. Five years ago, just about all you needed to get financing for your station project was a physical address and a pulse. But since the Great Recession, finding an institution that will even lend to you — much less with favorable terms — has become much more challenging. So what’s a department to do if you need funds for a capital project and the traditional lending institutions just aren’t “getting their heart right”? Read More...

Relevant Tags: Financial, loan, usda, funds, loans, community, safety, direct loans, public safety, rural development, loan guarantee, community facility, alternative funding, lending institution

By Bethany McKinney | 07/05/2011

During recent years, the terms credit score and credit report have been frequently discussed and the importance of one’s credit score has risen. A credit score is a key factor in loan approvals and the interest rate that one will pay. Understanding what a credit score is and how it is calculated empowers the consumer to increase his/her score resulting in greater ability to take advantage of what are currently, historically low, lending rates. Read More...

Relevant Tags: Financial, credit, score, report, financial, credit score, credit report, how raise, improve credit

Cheryl Holland | 04/29/2011

The joy of having children is accompanied by many responsibilities. One that seems to cause a great deal of concern is how to pay for college when the time comes (and it will come sooner than you imagine). There is good reason for that concern: Your child’s college tuition could be one of the largest expenditures you ever make. The best advice you can follow is to start planning right now. Read More...

Relevant Tags: college, fire, save, planning, 529 plan, save now, savings plan, relax later

John R. Hill | 01/11/2011

Most fire departments don’t know that their request for fire truck financing proposals actually set themselves up to receive less bidders, create more confusion for themselves, and get worse financing terms. This article will help guide your fire department to set up a successful Request for Proposal (RFP) process. Read More...

Relevant Tags: FINANCING YOUR STUFF, financing, rfp, fire, payment, proposals, fire truck, truck financing, financing term, fire departments, rfp process, interest rate, financing terms, financing stuff, how much, out rfp

Bill Carter | 01/11/2011

The economic climate of the past two years has created a financial landscape where access to personal, mortgage and small business loans has become more restrictive — and the application, documentation and funding process has become tougher. While it may seem like the pendulum has swung too far to the conservative side, in reality, we are simply moving back to an era of prudent lending. Read More...

Relevant Tags: loan, department, financial, grant, funding, usda rural, rural development, grant writing, financing stuff, fire rescue/ems, deal financing, rescue/ems departments, new deal, cash flow

Arianna Sims Derrick | 07/25/2010

While saving money is an important part of financial planning, there are other things you can do to put your financial house in order. Here are 10 planning tips to help you accomplish your goals. Read More...

Relevant Tags: FINANCIAL PLANNING,planning, financial, insurance, college, goals, life, health, financial planning, planning tips, rescue ems, life insurance, fire rescue, credit report, top financial, ems journal

CHARLES FLOWERS | 04/26/2010

For many, the funding of a Roth IRA has not been an option for saving for retirement. However, since January 1, 2010, a new opportunity is available for those interested in a Roth IRA. New IRS rules are making it easier than ever to convert to a Roth IRA. All taxpayers are now eligible to convert a traditional IRA to a Roth IRA, regardless of income or filing status. In addition, individuals can convert some types of qualified retirement plans, including 401(k) plans, profit sharing plans, governmental 457(b) plans, and 403(b) plans. A Roth conversion allows individuals to convert future taxable income to future tax-free income. Read More...

Relevant Tags: Fire,roth, ira, conversion, tax, convert, retirement, assets, taxes, roth ira, convert roth, roth conversion, future tax, should convert, pay taxes, tax rates

BOB CARROLL | 04/26/2010

As a rookie firefighter in a suburb of Detroit, I was excited to get on a truck and “put the wet stuff on the red stuff.” I quickly realized that the job involved more ambulance work than the heroic adventures portrayed on the television that I watched so intently as a child. Read More...

Relevant Tags: Fire,fire, ems, information, billing, patient, rescue ems, fire rescue, fire departments, fire fighter, billing information, bridging gap, carolina fire, ems journal, our documentation

Mike McMonagle | 04/26/2010

As we all know, “emergency response” involves more than just fighting fires or tending to someone who has been injured. That is not to say that suppressing a fully involved structure fire or resuscitating an unresponsive heart attack victim are simple feats. Rather, they are the public-facing actions that are typically prefaced by behind-the-scenes information gathering and analyzing that is oftentimes performed while en route to the call. Whether it is a paramedic accessing past medical records, or a firefighter reviewing a building layout for a facility before arrival, the information that is available will ultimately shape the means by wh... Read More...

Relevant Tags: Fire,fire, software, emergency, information, computer, emergency response, fire rescue, rescue ems, fully rugged, pre incident, carolina fire, paper based, response field, mobile computing, emergency respo

DAVE MURPHY | 01/11/2010

Our essential mission and number one priority is to deliver the best possible service to our customers —or is it? Do we only show up when someone calls 911? If this is the case, I maintain you are not providing the best possible service to your customer, the citizens that pay your salary, or provide the necessary resources for you to operate. Read More...

Relevant Tags: Fire,fire, service, customer, rescue, department, fire rescue, golden rule, fire department, possible service