I’m always partial to Public Management (PM) magazine articles, but I have to write here that the September issue is one of those that represents what the magazine was designed to do from its first issue: feature information for managers who are out there doing their best for local governments every day.

            With public safety budgeting always a critical and debatable issue, the cover stories examine operational changes that might need to be made for fiscal reasons. One example is how changes were made to the firefighters’ shift structure in Delaware, Ohio.

            Then there’s the article on tips to managing the volunteer’s role during a disaster. People come wanting to help after most tragedies but if there isn’t some advance planning on how to handle all these people, another disaster might be on a manager’s hands.

            The issue also includes basic information on notification practices during a disaster, fleet fuel cost savings, and guidance on successful collaboration. If you have suggestions to add to those in the articles, don’t hesitate to comment and let your colleagues know about them, continuing PM’s effort to inform.