IAFF Manual Provides Better Understanding of Public Safety Officer Systems 

April 2, 2009 – The current economic decline is leading some municipalities to consider consolidation -- or merging -- of fire and police departments under a single public safety office (PSO) with the guise of saving money.

IAFF affiliates need to be aware of the severely negative effect PSO systems can have on fire services.

The IAFF has developed a "Fire and Police Consolidation: An Ineffective Use of Resources" manual to give affiliates general information on PSO systems and guidance to prevent them from being implemented. A detailed toolkit -- available to affiliate leaders -- accompanies the manual and includes a list of top 20 questions to ask city/county managers, mayors and councilors who may be considering a PSO system.