The Impact of Decentralization of Fire Protection on Fire Deaths in the US: A Cross-State Analysis

Abstract

In this paper, we offer an estimate of the effect of decentralization of fire protection service on fire deaths in the US, while using individual US states as points of observation. We assess the degree of decentralization in each state by the average size of its fire departments, which is the basic unit of fire protection service in the US. A number of other factors that are relevant to the causes of fires are included in our regression model. Our results show that the size of fire departments measured both in population and in the area served by one fire department positively correlates with fire death rate. We interpret these results as an evidence that there is room for improving efficiency in fire protection service around the US through decentralization.