Future of Fire Service in Schodack, NY - Part 1: An Evaluation of Existing Conditions

In 2018, the Town of Schodack and five of its fire departments engaged CGR to conduct a comprehensive study of the fire service in the town and develop a series of options for the future. The study looked at calls for service, equipment, staffing, facilities and financial operation for each of the involved departments. The project identified that the existing volunteer model of multiple small departments was sufficient for the current situation, but with declining volunteerism and increasing costs, there was a substantial risk that the fire service would no longer be able to adequately respond. The options developed included merging into a single department, several smaller mergers, and the potential for adding paid staff. At the conclusion of the study, two of the fire departments began pursuing a merger.

For more information view the project website.

Report Date: Oct 2018
Author(s): Paul Bishop , Amelia Rickard , Steve Hanmer
Subject(s): Public Safety , Shared Services/Consolidation , Government Reorganization/Dissolution
Location: Rensselaer, New York

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