Week 8 Final Project 

During the last decade, the severity and the impact of the economic downturn have affected all levels of government to a degree not experienced since the 1930’s.  The news seems to get worse each day, and the daily reports of fire service cutbacks became widespread from the largest to the smallest departments, each with staff to pay, ongoing pension costs, and many with outstanding capital bond payments and lease payments.  If this economic meltdown has done nothing else for the fire service, it has highlighted the importance of chief executives understanding all facets of the budget.

For your final project, you are to explain some of the economic problems that many cities are facing and the solutions that are being implemented by U.S. fire departments to cope with their shrinking budgets. 

     1. Research and discuss some economic problems facing U.S. cities.

     2. Use the Internet to search for solutions being implemented by at least 5 fire departments.     3. Describe the solutions for each department.     4. Discuss whether the solutions were a success or failure.