The problems we face in the fire service are complex and difficult, but finding the correct data to answer those questions and address those issues shouldn't be. It does not matter if it is funding for a new fire apparatus, trying to understand the impact of a new housing subdivision, or trying to improve your recruitment, data can help us solve those problems easier, better, and more complexly. However, we often get stumped about where to get the data we need. And even if we know what we need or want, can we actually get to it? This session will explain simple and easily available data sets and then apply those to case studies that examine typical problems found in communities served by volunteer fire departments today.