Program: Office of fire safety
Appropriation: |
Interdepartmental Grants: |
$111,100 |
|
Federal Funds: |
$872,300 |
|
Special Revenue Funds: |
$2,226,400 |
|
GF/GP: |
$1,598,500 |
|
Total: |
$4,808,300[10] |
Program Description:
This appropriation funds the office of fire safety. The Office’s responsibilities include inspections on new construction, reviews of architectural drawings, and fire-safety inspections for schools, prisons and foster care. It also provides certification programs for fire inspection and quality standards.
Recommended Action:
Fire-safety inspection should be outsourced to private, for-profit inspectors. Outsourcing inspections to one or more firms could reduce the cost of providing such a service by at least 20 percent. Approximate savings from outsourcing office of fire safety duties could exceed $900,000. In 1997 the Mackinac Center for Public Policy profiled one private fire safety inspector in the spring edition of Michigan Privatization Report. Jim Schifiliti of Fire Safety Consultants Inc. has worked under contract with the state of Illinois and 60 municipalities, inspecting such “critical care” units as mental health facilities and public schools. Savings: $961,660.