Localities struggle to fully fund fire and rescue services across the state, especially in rural areas with declining populations, primarily in Southwest and Southside Virginia, and also in other regions throughout the state. The confluence of current restrictions on funding sources, declining volunteerism, national competition for a small pool of federal funds, and increasing EMS calls strain these services. Local fire chiefs and EMS directors need additional support to meet the needs of their communities. Limited funding results in a direct loss of services and can jeopardize the ability of fire and EMS teams to provide quality life-saving services in the time needed.

Summary of Key Research Findings

• As shown in the flowchart on page10, approximately 97.15% of the $6.2 billion spent on fire and EMS in Virginia in the three years from Fiscal Year 2021-2023 came from local governments. An estimated 1.13% came from federal sources, and 1.72% from the State.

• Localities among the ten lowest funded in the state in relation to their population, land area, and EMS call volume are concentrated in Southside and Southwest Virginia, are largely rural, generally experience population declines, and universally report a decrease in volunteerism. These localities include:

• Dickenson County
•  Wise County
•  Russell County
•  Appomattox County

• Geospatial analysis helps make sense of funding trends and further illuminate their geographic dimensions. For example, patterns in the population growth map below mirror geographic patterns in funding maps. As shown in the two maps on page 7 of the report, the population growth centers of Northern Virginia, the Urban Crescent, and parts of the Shenandoah Valley are also the areas with the highest fire and EMS expenditures per capita.

Recommendations Summary

1. Increase State Revenue for use by Fire and EMS Agencies: Increase the revenue received from vehicle registration fees and increase the percentage of the State’s gross premium income from fire insurance.

2. Create a Fund for At-Risk Localities: Target additional state funding to localities most vulnerable to negative outcomes due to insufficient fire and EMS funding. Include an analysis of local funding contributions, population, land area, call volume, and reported need in allocation decisions.

3. Increase Flexibility of Use for State Fire and EMS Funds: For state grants, increase flexibility to allow funding to be used for all major fire and EMS needs, including personnel costs, fire truck and ambulance purchase and/or maintenance, facilities, equipment, training, and communication systems.

4. Support Volunteer Recruitment: Create a state campaign for fire/ EMS volunteer recruitment, including tools for training and recruitment, and incentives for employers and volunteers.

5. Improve Efficiency and Streamline Collaboration: Initiate collective purchasing processes for equipment, apparatuses, and ambulances; facilitate regional collaboration for inter-locality dispatch systems and mutual aid; create a collective grant writing resource; incentivize and facilitate reporting of fire service calls; and support investment in infrastructure for 5G cell service in rural areas.

6. Move OEMS under the Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security: Convene an implementation committee to outline a new organizational structure that includes OEMS within the Public Safety and Homeland Security Secretariat. Among other items, the committee should consider merging the Office of Emergency Medical Services (OEMS) into the Virginia Department of Fire Programs (VDFP) versus creating a co-equal Department of EMS; and how to effectively support personnel funding needs with state funds to facilitate sustainable funding structures.