Installment purchase -- paying for an asset (like an apparatus) over time directly to the seller or a lender, similar in spirit to financing a vehicle.
Lease purchase -- leasing an asset with the intent (or option) to own it at the end of the term.
State or local government financing program -- some states run programs specifically to help local governments finance public-safety equipment or facilities, often at favorable terms. Availability varies widely by state.
Capital improvement plan (CIP) -- not a financing method itself, but a multi-year plan many municipalities keep that lists upcoming capital projects and how they're expected to be paid for. Capital Command's own multi-year Capital Plan is built in this same spirit.
Why it matters to your department
None of these apply everywhere, and none are mutually exclusive with a bond or a millage -- many real projects end up using more than one funding source at once (see "Building a Funding Blueprint for a need").
Who should I talk to?
Your finance director/administrator, and your state's fire marshal's office or municipal finance association, which often know what state-specific programs exist.
--- *Capital Command is not a financial advisor, underwriter, bond counsel, or lender. Nothing here is a financing recommendation.*
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