News & Events
February 2006
A Region on Fire
It's one of the toughest jobs in the nation. Whether it's battling building blazes, responding to floods, or answering the call for emergency management on our highways, our firefighters accept enormous risk in exchange for the opportunity to serve us, our friends, family and neighbors. The firefighting industry, however, is in a period of significant transition. Improved building materials, better codes and increased public education are all contributing to a reduction in fire incidents. So, many political leaders are faced with the challenging question of justifying the expense for personnel without compromising the safety of their citizens, no matter how remote.
In January, we launched our first half-day workshop on regional cooperation by examining opportunities in fire service collaboration. More than seventy city managers, fire chiefs, union leaders, elected officials and firefighters came together to discuss the opportunities before our region for improving both efficiency and effectiveness of service. Many of these discussions were driven by firefighters who recognize how much more they can do for our communities if we break down some of the geographic barriers between us.
The economic benefits of collaboration are sometimes hard to quantify - they often come over the long term, realized in the form of safer, more attractive communities. Sometimes, the hard costs of expensive but little-used equipment, like an $800,000 ladder truck, can be shared among cities, but by and large, the economics of collaboration will challenge the short-sighted. It's a crucial endeavor, however, for any community facing the pressure of declining revenue and increasing personnel costs.
Our firefighters are on the front lines of a new kind of battle: to protect a public service in an increasingly challenging economy. They are not alone. Police officers, clerks, human resource managers, planners, inspectors, secretaries, even city managers are all at risk, as well as the services they provide that keep our cities clean, safe and strong. That our personnel are investigating and innovating methods for intergovernmental cooperation is both encouraging and inspiring. We cannot forget, however, that there is only so much economic benefit to be gained from collaboration. The crisis won't be solved by efficiency alone.
At the heart of the municipal finance problem, still, lies the incredible disinvestment in urban communities by Lansing officials. From decreasing revenue sharing to transforming our property tax system, over the last two decades we have seen state level officials cause significant harm to cities. If our leaders in the capital don't fix this situation soon, many communities will fall into insolvency.
Improving regional collaboration, fostering redevelopment and reforming public policies are the keys to restoring the vitality of our cities. Our firefighters are leading the way on cooperative efforts, just as they have for decades. They are doing their part. It's up to our citizens and political leaders to push for the greater systemic reforms we need, and to engage every staff member, every neighbor in the call for changes in Lansing.