Output specification and performance measurement in fire services: An ordinal output variable approach

This paper investigates performance differences in fire services with an ordinal output variable. An output variable is constructed for fires in detached houses in Sweden. The ordered probit model is used in the estimation of a production function. Performance differences are found by using the "individual effects" method having panel data. However, here the dimensions are not time and cross-section, but instead cross-section and turn-outs for each fire service. The results show no performance differences between full-time and part-time firemen and indicate that "team spirit" is more important for performance than the actual number of firemen fighting a fire. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.