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Cost Savings Calculators

The NVFC Foundation developed Fire and EMS Cost Savings Calculators for both volunteer fire departments and volunteer emergency medical services. These tools allow you to figure out how much money your department saves the community and provides resources for presenting data to the municipalities who fund the department. Use the Calculators to make the case for increased community and governmental support of your department.

Fire Department Cost Savings Calculator

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

A study was conducted in 2004 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. This number has increased dramatically over the past few years. A 2012 report by the National Fire Protection Association estimates that the monetary value of donated time from volunteer firefighters is $129.7 billion (The Total Cost of Fire in the United States, NFPA, February 2012).

The cost savings calculator tool will enable you to determine the local cost savings of your volunteer fire 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.

EMS Cost Savings Calculator

The National Volunteer Fire Council Foundation's EMS Cost Savings Calculator 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 $486.6 million annually if all volunteer EMS providers nationally 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, 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 emergency medical service.