The current economic conditions are tough on everyone but also offer an opportunity.  As Americans re-learn the art of “tightening their belts,” they also have the opportunity to reflect on how to do things better, smarter and in communities of collaboration. Nowhere is this truer than in the fire and emergency medical services (EMS) community, which provides lifesaving support to American communities.

This paper captures the assembled wisdom and best practices from experienced fire and EMS chiefs across the nation on how to improve leading fire/EMS departments through these tough times.  The goal is to help fire and EMS chiefs and their departments understand the most effective strategies – the common pitfalls – and some best practices for collaborating with their staff, public officials and others in their community in making tough resource decisions.