A Practical Guide
Across Pennsylvania, fire and emergency services are at a turning point. Volunteer shortages, rising operational costs, and increasingly complex emergency demands are putting a strain on fire departments, especially in rural and suburban communities.
Here, find a practical overview of the four primary partnerships models outlined in the Municipal and Fire Organization Partnership Guide (PDF), and how to begin the process in your own community.
Why Partnerships Matter
Fire and EMS agencies have seen steady declines in staffing while facing increased call volumes and training demands. At the same time, costs for apparatus, equipment, and infrastructure continue to rise. Partnerships can:
- Enhance emergency response capabilities
- Reduce response time
- Eliminate redundancy
- Improve recruitment and retention
- Achieve economies of scale
- Strengthen community resilience
4 Types of Fire Service Partnerships
Each partnership structure offers a different level of integration, depending on your community's goals.
A flexible and informal collaboration between departments. Each organization retains its identity.
Efforts can be shared around:
- Joint training programs
- Coordinated responses
- Fire prevention outreach
- Standard operating procedures
Associations are ideal for communities looking to build trust and explore a deeper collaboration.
One department becomes the surviving entity, absorbing the others and their assets.
This allows for:
- Unified leadership and operations
- Streamlined administration
- Centralized equipment and facilities
Mergers can be partial, functional, operational, or full depending on how integrated services become.
All participating departments dissolve and form a new legal entity.
This approach:
- Establishes a fresh identity
- Unifies services, finances, and governance
- Requires the most planning and legal coordination
Consolidation is best suited for communities with a shared vision and strong municipal alignment.
Multiple municipalities pool resources and coordinate fire protection across a region. Departments can remain separate but operate under shared service agreements.
This can include:
- Joint use of facilities and apparatus
- Combined administrative staff
- Centralized training and planning
The Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development uses this definition for partnerships under the Shared Municipal Services Program.
Getting Started: A Step-by-Step Process
Regardless of partnership type, all efforts can follow a common framework.
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1
Form a Steering Committee
Include municipal leaders, fire officials, and community representatives. Identify goals, concerns, and initial resources.
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2
Develop a Project Plan
Determine which type of partnership best suits your community. Outline facility, staffing, and equipment considerations.
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3
Prepare Organizational Documents
Draft bylaws, governance structures, and funding models. Coordinate with legal counsel.
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4
Handle Legal and Financial Transfers
Address insurance, banking, and tax-exempt status changes. Notify appropriate state agencies.
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5
Set Internal and External Expectations
Hold public meetings, communicate changes, and foster transparency
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6
Launch Operations
Establish the active date for new services. Finalize reporting to the Office of the State Fire Commissioner.
Support and Resources
Along with the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development, we offer guidance and technical support throughout the partnership process.
Assessment Services
The Department of Community and Economic Development offers assessment services, including:
- Fire service evaluations
- Equipment and apparatus assessments
- Merger, consolidation, and regional feasibility studies
- Technical assistance (templates, facilitation, forms, etc.)
To begin, submit a letter of intent.
Key Considerations
Before you begin:
- Engage stakeholders early, including community members
- Understand geographic and demographic factors
- Analyze existing service gaps and organizational readiness
- Be transparent and open to feedback
- Learn from peer municipalities that have successfully merged or consolidated
Download the Guide
Download the full municipal and Fire Organization Partnership Guide for detailed procedures, sample forms, and best practices.
Disclaimer: The information contained on this site is intended for educational purposes only. The developers, contributors, and their companies/organizations they represent, disclaim and do not assume any liability for any act or omission by any person in connection with the use or implementation of any information contained on this site. None of the listed developers, contributors, or their companies/organizations they represent, make any representation or warranty, expressed or implied, with respect to the results obtained by the use, adherence or implementation of any material contained on this site. The implementation of this manual is not a guarantee that you will achieve any desired results. This website does not represent a complete or exhaustive explanation of the rules, regulations and laws.
