Volunteer Fire Department

Volunteer Departments Save Money for American Taxpayers

Welcome to the National Volunteer Fire Council Foundation's Cost Savings Calculator section. This tool will help you determine your department's contribution to the community, and provide data for municipalities who fund those departments.

A study was conducted by the Public Safety and Environmental Protection Institute at St. Joseph's University with the assistance of VFIS. The study showed that it would cost American taxpayers $37.2 billion annually if all volunteer firefighters nationwide were replaced with career staffing. The study was made possible by a grant from UBS, through the efforts of Mr. David Rogers.

The cost savings calculator tool will enable you to determine the local cost savings of your volunteer department. It will help you educate your city/town council, fire department boards, local groups, and others about the value that the department brings to the community. The cost savings figures will also help make the case for the need for local, state and federal investments in the volunteer fire service.

• To download the Excel Spreadsheet Calculator, click here.
• To use the Online Calculator, click here.
• To download the complete study, click here.
• PowerPoint Presentation
  

The PowerPoint template can be customized for your presentation. To complete the template, use the numbers from the cost savings calculator, and add other information as it pertains to your situation.

Click here to download the PowerPoint presentation.