Public Safety Research Group

03/24/2026

Fire and police departments do good jobs on targeting. Quick response time, put the fire out, emergency care for breathing difficulty, arresting the offender.

The question is what is the long term strategy forcthe agency? What are the obstacles in the way of accomplishing the strategic goal?

PSRG brings the experience to assist agencies, communities and department members develop strategy customized to your landscape and environment.

03/13/2025

Here's a headline:

"Rural Metro extinguishes flaming hot tub in Knox County"

https://www.wvlt.tv/2025/03/12/rural-metro-extinguishes-flaming-hot-tub-knox-county/

It happened in the 7200 block of Brickey Lane in North Knox County. Rural Metro said crews were told by the home’s owners that they heard the hot tub explode, looked over, and it was engulfed in flames.

06/17/2024

Firefighter jumps through window to stop ambulance theft

A firefighter was injured during an attempted ambulance theft at a local hospital Sunday morning, the Willoughby Hills Fire Department reported.

06/15/2024

t is time for the US and UK to go after the Houthis in Yemen, not just their launch sites and radars, but their command and control and leadership sites. Both the previous and current administrations have o only taken limited actions. The Houthis continue to interrupt national shipping lanes thru the Red Sea up via the Suez Canal into the Med by their attacks in the Red Sea and as ships come around the Horn of Africa. More than 200+ years ago Pres. Thomas Jefferson sent the entire U.S. Navy and the 200 some Marines we had to battle the pirates off Tripoli that were taking our merchant ships and we dealt a significant blow that stopped the actions. Shipping in this part of the world interferes with both our economy, Britain's, much of the NATO European nations. It is time to send the Houthis a definitive message where they make decisions.

The U.S. military is striking radar sites operated by Yemen’s Houthi rebels after a merchant sailor and boat went missing in the Red Sea earlier this week. U.S. strikes have destroyed seven radars within Houthi territory, the military’s Central Command (CENTCOM) said. The Associated Press report...

05/31/2024

Oklahoma City schools sued by Feds for not allowing to return to his teacher job from military deployment

DOJ officials alleged Wednesday that Oklahoma City schools are violating federal law by refusing to let an Air Force reservist return to teaching.

06/28/2023

Lithium-ion batteries from e-bikes and similar devices have fueled 92 fires, injured 64 people and caused nine deaths so far this year.

12/30/2022

Santa Barbara County Fire Department and American Medical Response submitted proposals for the contract, and AMR's was scored higher

12/30/2022

Santa Barbara County Fire Department had submitted a proposal to become the 911 ambulance provider - in competition with American Medical Response for the county contract. The Fire Department scored less than AMR in the selection - interesting news article as the Fire Department is appealing the decision. Of note, Fitch and Associates is the consultant to the county for the RFP. Informal observation, it seems over time that where Fitch has been the consultant to city/county governments on ambulance RFPs involving an AMR contract, AMR usually seems to win the contract award.

Santa Barbara County Fire Department and American Medical Response submitted proposals for the contract, and AMR's was scored higher

08/21/2022

PSRG completed the study of staffing and personnel cost options for Williams, Az, to switch to a combination paid and volunteer department. Changes in jobs and decline in volunteerism over the past few decades challenges communities to provide fire/EMS with even somewhat effective response times. PSRG can help your community determine solid fiscal choices

03/12/2022

PSRG announces that the City of Williams has awarded it a consulting agreement to assist the City modeling different approaches to a paid fire/volunteer fire department staffing situation.

11/14/2021

Falck is following AMR in San Diego - a difficult to serve area historically - complicated by the San Diego Fire Fighters wanting to do the full job - but a city council that won't give it back to them for reasons dating back to a labor strike more than 50 years ago. AMR, by its acquisition of Rural/Metro, inherited a problem that happened under Rural/Metro's watch. Falck will most likely face the same challenges as Rural/Metro did - only time will tell. Add to it, forthcoming changes in Medicare will reduce the number of "medical" patients that will be transported in any 9-1-1 system. AMR's loss of San Diego may be a blessing in the end for the national company. What the public fire service is not understanding is the coming changes in Medicare will change the call loads. The profits that fire chiefs think reside in ambulance transport are simply not there, in part, because fire departments want to staff ambulances with firefighters to increase their suppression ranks - personnel whose pension programs and pay cost far more than a civilian ambulance operation. In the end, is it about an effective emergency medical system or is it about fire departments thinking they can create revenue streams that feed department budgets and justify more sworn positions?

Falck USA has met nearly all of the city's three dozen criteria, which includes hiring 360 paramedics and EMTs, and securing new ambulances and technology

09/26/2021

I am pleasantly shocked that the anti-tax sentiment that generally prevails in the Town of Cave Creek gave way to spending money to start its own fire department, after years of relying on subscription fire service and good will response by surrounding agencies to a town that had nothing to "mutual aid" contribute. As someone who was in a national position with Rural/Metro years ago, I know that the subscription rate in Cave Creek had been very low for years - most residents had the attitude that "why buy a fire subscription, when I know you'll come give me a bill for a fire - and I may never have a fire, so why pay?' So, Rural/Metro actually frees itself from a loss - after decades of trying to persuade Cave Creek residents to form a fire district or town fire department. Rural/Metro-AMR will continue to be the only ambulance provider (as an EMS consultant I would not recommend Cave Creeks pursuing its own CON). Best wishes to Cave Creek in its new journey - but it will need to be quid pro quo in staffing to be part of the Valley-wide automatic mutual aid system.

Discussions are underway to determine the right revenue stream to support the fire department.