"Far too often, crews are unavailable to deliver adequate service unless they drive up overtime hours."

How does more overtime produce adequacy when it is the SAME people who show up to do the same job BUT for more money?  More pay somehow "magically" makes them more adequate?  Don't kid yourself.  This is ONLY due to bad management and this overtime "practice" is prevalent in our fire dept and state jail system.  It is called GAMING the system and NOTHING more.