Part-time fire fighters in Canadian municipalities: cost and effectiveness comparisons

Abstract: This article reports findings from a cross-Canada study of municipal fire departments. Data gathered from a survey of 104 fire departments in 1981 and 1982 indicate that the use of part-time fire fighters in Canadian cities over 10,000 population is widespread. Overall, municipalities that rely on mixed full-time and part-time fire departments or on all-volunteer departments enjoy substantial cost savings. Further, when fire department effectiveness is compared among full-time, mixed and all-volunteer departments, full-time and mixed departments are about equally effective. Fire departments employing a mix of full-time and part-time fire fighters, particularly in communities up to 50,000 residents, enjoy the benefits of lower fire service costs without sacrificing effectiveness.