Sounds like it’s time for he city to give Rural Metro a call.
No doubt the private sector can do anything cheaper than a goverment entity can.
For instance, EMS here in Austin is championed by Mike Levy, of Texas Monthly,( http://www.austinchronicle.com/gyrobase/Issue/story?oid=oid:526022 ) and the Un-America Hatesman. Which is why it remains it own separate department with a whole different support structure. If the city was really worried about money, it would join the 2 departments and get rid of a whole Command and Admin structure. But that will never happen to EMS in Austin.
Nyuk, nyuk, nyuk. Rural Metro runs ambulances to around 300,000 miles, and runs their employees into the ground. You seldom see a Rural Metro employee over about 28 because they get burned out working for near minimum wage running 20 calls a shift. If you want an inexperienced 24 year old operating on no sleep working on you when you have a heart attack, they're the guys.
Rural Metro will only take contracts on relatively new cities with extremely stringent fire and sprinkler codes. They can't make money on a department that actually responds to fire calls. Their stock is at $1.90 now. Back in 1996 it was around $38.
RM gives QuikLube service quality. Better than nothing, but they wouldn't be my first choice. Unfortunately, most people don't think about quality of emergency service until they've crashed their car into a tree.
State civil service law requires standardized tests. The city wanted the department to go to a quota system. When I left AFD, the city manager, Jesus Garza, reportedly referred to the FD as the Chardonnay Boys (a bunch of white whiners.) City management for Austin doesn't care how many people die in a fire as long as the proper demographic is standing around outside watching. I know. I worked there.
Do your homework before you start giving advice.