Police and fire coverage is actually not required at the start of your city. You are reliably blessed with an influx of introductory citizens that maintain both a delightful disposition and an uncanny understanding of the dangers of unlit pilot lights.
However, in short order -- as your city continues to bloom -- you will need to address the issues of crime and flammability. First will be fire; after, crime.
The Fire Department
Here's what the game has to say when you roll over the information button on the fire department HUD.
- All buildings have a chance to catch on fire
- Buildings on terrain with lots of water have a lower fire risk
- Buildings housing educated Sims have a lower fire risk
- Overflowing garbage and abandoned buildings are a fire risk
- Neighbor cities can provide coverage free of charge
- Add fire trucks to put out more fires
- Only hazmat trucks from the fire headquarters can put out hazmat fires
- Industrial zones have a higher fire risk
- Fires can spread to adjacent buildings
- The fire marshal lowers the chance of fires
- Some criminals start fires
- Fire helicopters avoid traffic to on the way to put out a fire
Managing Risk
Of all of the ploppables that you have at your disposal, the fire stations are the most important to place in key areas. You want five fire stations -- four for the corners and one dead center. They should be serviced by medium sized roads and/or boulevards so that they don't have to contend with traffic jams. Also, you want to make sure that your fire stations are as modulated as possible -- especially the fire bell -- to maximize their response time to fires.
Hazardous Materials (HAZMAT)
Chemical fires are particularly devastating and difficult to put out. As a result, you require a special task force of firefighters to handle these delicate situations.
Garbage, Abandonment, and Rubble
If you fail to handle your garbage properly or clean up your city by bulldozing rubble and abandoned buildings, you risk the possibility that some fire bug will come along and torch the place just for kicks. Keep your eyes out for these unsightly scars on your grid and do something about them before they become a true nuisance.
The Police Department
Here's what the game has to say when you roll over the information button on the police department HUD.
- Police stations and patrol cars prevent crimes and arrest criminals
- Criminals start as uneducated kids
- If criminals are successful, they commit worse crimes
- Police take criminals to holding cells
- Once criminals serve their time they are rehabilitated and released
- If holding cells are full, criminals are released early
- Criminals can travel from neighboring cities that have high crime
- The Detective Wing allows police to arrest criminals in their homes
- Criminals are attracted to commercial areas
- Police helicopters can track and arrest criminals even in their homes
Criminality
A good education system is the best way to handle crime in your city. Prevention is always better than reaction. However, if you're not in the mood to become a university town, you'll need a quality police force. Make sure you add a few jails to your stations in order to prevent recidivism and you can pretty much relax...
Neighbors with Problems
...until, that is, one of your neighbors stops paying attention and inadvertently exports criminals to your town via the main highway. Criminals in other towns -- once the crime rate reaches an extraordinary high level -- will begin to infect other cities in the area. Thus, you must work together with other mayors -- especially if you are the other mayor -- to make sure that their problems don't become your problems.
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