With the right steps taken and a sufficient budget, Chicago can have a fire department residents deserve
The Chicago Fire Department (CFD) commissioner has increased her salary and the salaries of her command staff by three percent in 2024 and 11 percent over the last three years. This development is most frustrating to Chicago Fire Department firefighters and paramedics who everyday respond to emergencies and routinely place their lives and general health at risk who have been forced to continue working without a contract for nearly four years now.
It is also a disservice to firefighters who continued to work during the COVID-19 pandemic — losing seven colleagues to the disease — worked through spates of “civil unrest,” endured four line-of-duty deaths in 2023, witnessed co-workers suffer countless catastrophic injuries, and frequent equipment breakdowns. They often are saddled with contaminated gear, literally living in firehouses that are unhealthy and often toxic places. The wheels are literally falling off Mayor Johnson’s fire department.
Though the shortages of equipment and slow response times should be a public concern, in his 16 months in office, Mayor Brandon Johnson has yet to meet officials with the Chicago Fire Fighters Union (Local 2). Though he has snubbed officials with Local 2, Johnson has met with the Black Fire Brigade on October 22 to discuss applying CFD’s new DEI policy. Meanwhile, on November 1, Commissioner Annette Nance-Holt sent a department memo encouraging CFD members to participate in an online DEI assessment. This assessment was funded by Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) assistance to the Firefighters Grant.
A peculiar use of grant money, the FEMA grant has historically been used for the purchase of essential CFD equipment. Under Johnson and Commissioner Holt's leadership, these essential funds have been diverted to pay for DEI assessments and other inane projects. The city also squandered a historic opportunity to use even a small portion of its almost $2 billion in federal COVID monies to upgrade CFD’s deteriorated vehicle fleet and equipment and address environmental issues in its firehouses. This neglect will soon have CFD resembling a fire department of a third-world country.
As Mayor Johnson continues to concentrate on the crisis with the Chicago Public Schools, he ignores fire fighters and CFD’s needs. When Johnson does finally shift his attention to the Chicago Fire Department, providing a contract that has financial parity with the Chicago Police is not nearly enough. There are numerous long-standing issues that need to be addressed if the abasement of one of the nation’s best fire departments is to be reversed.
Absence of a regular exam schedule and the absence of transparency
There was a Lieutenant’s Exam in December of 2019, but it required more than 1,000 days for those test takers to receive their scores and the scoring methodology is considered to be flawed. While the city has held promotional exams for a range of ranks over the last five years, the results of each exam have been delayed for over a year.
That is a failing grade in any other municipal fire department in this country. The most recent Captain and Battalion Chief Exam was given in June 2023. There is no indication when the results will be posted. The last Ambulance Commander Exam and Paramedics Field Chief Exam was held in June 2022, yet test takers continue to wait for results to be posted. Meanwhile, dozens of Battalion Chief and Exempt Rank positions remain unfilled. Infrequent exams and the promotion of less-than-qualified individuals is neither good for morale nor the development of highly competent staff. It should be clear that Chicago's testing practices and scoring methodology are also creating a disparate impact against minority test takers.
It is the fault of CFD it cannot achieve an adequate number of minority candidates. Chicago has now been included in the Fire Fighters Promotional Act. This should bring fairness to testing but the city is refusing to recognize or follow the law. Exams should be administered for every position on three-year intervals. Chicago should adopt the system used by New York City, with exam results posted within days rather than years. It is also essential the city be fully transparent when it comes to weighted questions on the exams. Moreover, the Chicago is compelled to discuss with the union a greater role for seniority in promotions along the lines of the military model that promotes based on time in grade, performance, and professional development.
Failing to address the issue of vacancies to avoid fatigue and control overtime costs
In years past, there has been excessive media attention directed at the amount of overtime paid to the uniformed service members of the City of Chicago. Curiously, this attention has disappeared even as overtime in the CFD has skyrocketed. Battalion chiefs regularly work extra shifts of 24 hours and many have not had a regularly scheduled day off (the so-called “Daley Day”) in months. Due to the shortage of exempt deputy district chiefs (DDCs) mentioned above, some DDC’s are working 96-hour (four 24 hour) shifts. This is unconscionable and dangerous.
The situation regarding the rank of engineer is much more dramatic. There were far too many engineer vacancies resulting in engineers working triple shifts — in many cases 72 hours in a row — and rumors abounded about engineers being among the highest paid members of the CFD, earning in excess of $250,000.
With the posting of engineer exam results, this specific issue may diminish in the near future. However, net overtime for all firefighters continues to increase due to lack of hiring. This is the result of poor planning by the CFD and the Department of Personnel and is likely costing Chicago millions.
Chicago needs to develop a comprehensive plan to fill critical vacancies, which will reduce dangerous firefighter fatigue and overtime costs.
Failing to fill exempt ranks at CFD and removing the disincentives to joining those ranks
Currently, there are 25 vacancies in the higher ranks of CFD. Appointed positions, that these vital roles have gone unfilled that have gone unfilled is due primarily to a reduction of benefits — including elimination of retiree healthcare for exempt ranks. Because of the reduction in benefits, exceptionally qualified CFD personnel routinely decline promotions. Many have opted to voluntarily accept demotion to battalion chief for the reason the position is covered by the Local 2 contract.
By contrast, accepting an exempt promotion from battalion chief to deputy district chief can result in a reduction in salary, loss of furlough picks, and the aforementioned medical benefits. The time has arrived to sweep away the disincentives associated with exempt rank positions and ensure promotions are based on qualifications.
Failure to create a pipeline that ensures future firefighter and paramedic candidates are of high quality and reflect the community without lowering standards
You cannot fight racism with racism. This, however, is precisely what the current city leadership is attempting to do in hiring as well as in promotions. In its June 2023 decision ending race-conscious admissions, the U.S. Supreme Court said that universities can’t use a race-based approach to redress the damage from the present-day consequences of historical racism. That same rule must apply to promotions within the Chicago Fire Department.
CFD needs to recruit citywide and not try to determine the outcome by targeting certain communities to deliberate exclusion, setting different standards for eligibility, or creating obstacles to applying. Diversity can be achieved without discriminating or lowering standards by discarding current general CPS preference hiring that deliberately discriminates against private high school graduates and simply gives preferential police hiring to Chicago Public School graduates only, with no real standards. It produces neither the diversity desired required nor the quality needed.
It could be replaced by a CFD partnering with the CPS high school military academies, its high school ROTC program and an upgraded Police and Fire Training Academy (CPFTA), the latter of which draws students from private schools as well and by giving preference in hiring to city police officers and military personal. If the high school curriculums are aligned with city colleges and local university courses, these schools and programs could feed the city’s first responder departments, similarly to how ROTC and JROTC programs serve the military.
Preference hiring should also be provided to other city employees like police, veterans, and children of first responders who have fallen in the line of duty. With these pipelines in place, there would be no need to discriminate to achieve so-called equity nor lower general hiring standards. It will ensure a diverse group of CFD first responder candidates who are of high quality and are also well schooled in the areas critical to effective firefighter and EMS work.
Failure to address a long-term vehicle and equipment maintenance and replacement plan
Since the early 2000s, the replacement and upkeep all CFD equipment has been under the complete control of Fleet and Facilities Management (2FM), and the condition of the equipment has since deteriorated considerably. Going back to the early 1950s, CFD has allowed its fleet to wither to the point that only a complete — and extremely costly — replacement plan can resolve the issue. Chicago has engaged several consultants over the past decades to analyze CFD’s operations, and every report has urged the department to develop a planned replacement program to avoid big-budget, large-scale purchases.
The normal life expectancy for first line fire apparatus will vary from city to city, depending on the amount of use of the equipment and the adequacy of the maintenance program. Generally speaking, a 10 to 15-year life expectancy is considered normal for first line pumping engines and 15 years for first-line ladder trucks. In some areas of high fire frequency, a limit of only 10 years may be reasonable for first line service, according to The National Fire Protection Handbook, 18th. Edition.
CFD currently has approximately 96 land engine companies and 60 ladder or truck companies. At the present time, 41 (42.7 percent of) engine companies and 37 (61.67 percent of) ladder companies are more than 15 years old. A major apparatus purchase occurred in 2002 and purchases since then have been sporadic at best. Four engine companies in front line service were purchased prior to 2000. Thirty of the 60 ladders were purchased in 2002.
The Tri Data study recommended a minimum of 10 pumping engines, six ladder companies and one tower ladder, along with miscellaneous other equipment, be purchased every year. Except for the massive purchases in 2002 and a significant purchase in 2006, this recommendation has been ignored by 2FM.
The situation regarding equipment is approaching a crisis with the spare fleet composed primarily of equipment purchased in the early to mid-1990s. A spare tower ladder that is still in use dates from 1985 — 39 years ago — and does not meet current safety standards. Annual testing of aerial ladders is required by both the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and Insurance Service Office. Chicago does not adhere to these recommendations. It is only a matter of time until there is a failure that will cost Chicago dearly in legal payouts.
Furthermore, there are additional costs not captured in any consultant reports, including the costs of regular breakdowns and the effect on fire fighter safety, not to mention the legal and fiscal liability the city is opening itself up to when these rigs are unable to respond to emergency incidents.
It is urgent for the City of Chicago to take the necessary steps to correct this situation. First, Chicago should budget accordingly to purchase a sufficient number of ambulances and ensure there are adequate EMS-trained personnel to minimize the use of using fire engines to respond to emergencies that require a response from EMS.
Second, Chicago should establish a committee to develop specifications for, and make recommendations on, selecting, maintaining, and replacing CFD equipment. The committee should be required to develop long- and short-term plans to address immediate and future fleet needs. Finally, Chicago should end the practice of bonding to pay for fire department equipment and instead use equipment notes.
Chicago needs a holistic approach to fix decades of neglect. It needs to partner with Federal, State, and County officials to bring in the additional dollars needed to address this crisis.
Failure to adopt a comprehensive plan to improve firefighter and paramedic health safety
Of all the issues facing the CFD, none are more important than the issue of firefighter and paramedic health and safety. Concern over the incidence of occupational cancer has been mounting for several years. The incidence of certain cancers in firefighters is well documented in literature, and, recently, a federal mandate was passed to maintain accurate records countywide.
CFD must fully adhere to all NFPA and other national standards regarding cancer prevention for firefighters and paramedics. This will include instituting serious steps, including the following:
- Ensure constant replacement and upgrades of protective personal equipment (PPE). This includes bunker gear (coats and pants), hoods, gloves, boots, etc.
- Maintain duplicate sets of personal protective equipment (PPE) to ensure a clean set is always available
- Implement a five-year replacement cycle for all PPE; 10-year replacement cycle for helmets.
- Perform a comprehensive assessment of the state of all PPE every six months.
- Provide advanced cleaning systems for contaminated bunker gear at each firehouse, as well as immediate washing at the scene to prevent contamination of vehicle interiors.
- Strictly enforce NFPA standards as if they were a governing body.
- Make available wipes and other cleaning materials to immediately clean exposed skin at the scene.
- Immediately clean all equipment, apparatus and interiors after each event.
CFD has yet to implement many of these steps. One factor contributing to CFD’s failure to put these steps into place is firefighters have only one set of bunker gear; paramedics are not issued this gear.
If you attempt to clean your gear too often, you will be “counseled” that you must have your gear cleaned only at the assigned bi-annual schedule by the vendor. Unfortunately, once gear is contaminated, the process of having a vendor take it off site for cleaning is laborious and time-consuming. The result is that most members simply work with dirty gear.
The lack of critical mental health services for first responders
The closing of several mental health clinics in Chicago left many without proper care. This increased the burden on, and risks to EMS and other city public safety personnel who are not sufficiently trained to contend to cope with individuals with serious mental health issues. CFD and EMS responds to an average 25,000 psychiatric emergencies annually, but the department has failed to implement the same crisis intervention and psychiatric emergency training for CFD personnel that CPD recently began. The mayor’s budget has again failed to set aside much-needed funding for this training.
In addition, despite the often-traumatic experiences they regularly encounter in the course of duty, there are inadequate services available to CFD personnel for the emotional and mental challenges that can result from their work. This year’s budget shows a continuation of that trend, as CFD has three total budgeted mental health positions, and in practice, has two full time licensed clinicians for 5,000 members. Plus, with a reduction in salary for CFD's mental health clinicians, few with the proper licensure and education will take that job.
Under law passed years ago, protections were put into place for first responders seeking mental health care. As part of that law, $10 million in state grant money was made available if Chicago agrees to follow the guidelines in the law, specifically confidentiality. Those protections didn’t exist at the time of the passage of the law. Chicago CFD is not participating. The city is squandering an opportunity to provide much needed mental health services to CFD, as well as CPD, which has also been long neglected while accessing the state funding to help finance those services.
Failure to fund EMS services and maximize income generating opportunities
Chicago’s long-neglected investment in EMS has cost the city lives and income. On average, CFD handles over 350,000 calls a year, yet the city currently maintains only 80 ambulances. By contrast, New York City has 450 ambulances. This limits Chicago’s EMS response times, forcing the city to engage in the very expensive practice of using fire trucks on EMS calls and paying exorbitant amounts of overtime to exhausted EMS personnel. The shortage of ambulances has cost Chicago a source or revenue.
The City of Chicago does not need a study to justify bringing the active fleet to a minimum of 125 ambulances or creating a bureau of EMS under a separate command to ensure that their needs are prioritized and managed effectively. The expansion of EMS assets would save lives and help generate income. There is also the failure to collect revenue generated by CFD ambulances. CFD has been unable to recover more than 37 percent or as much as $400 million of its billable revenue.
Even under the current system, which collects only a small portion of what is billed, EMS is a revenue producer, with every ambulance generating enough revenue to pay the salaries of the crew. The issue of more ambulances is not a revenue issue. The overtime savings alone would go far to cover much of the cost. A new ambulance would pay for itself in less than two years. Every day the shortage of ambulances manifests in longer response times, the city faces an increased vulnerability to lawsuits.
With this in mind, Chicago has also failed to take full advantage of the revenue-generating potential of a fully supported EMS program. EMS is potentially a big revenue producer. A well-equipped and effectively managed and supported EMS can be significantly monetized, generating far more than enough resources to cover the costs of expanded and needed services. This can be accomplished by taking full advantage of available Medicaid and Medicare reimbursements, more effective billing of private insurers, and expanding the city’s capacity to compete with private EMS providers for private events.
CFD could generate revenue by establishing a community health center program on the scale of Los Angeles to provide federally reimbursable health services to those living in poverty. Such a service would more than pay for itself and help generate additional income to support further expansion of EMS ambulances and crews. This program would significantly increase the quality of life for the patients while also reducing use of the 911 system.
CFD could also find additional revenue by starting biohazard cleanup after a car accident. This has been a significant source of revenue for years for many fire departments nationwide. CFD has failed to adapt. Ultimately, like New York City, a Bureau of Emergency Medical Services would ensure emergency services and personnel receive the attention they deserve. The bureau would set priorities, make budget recommendations, and manage services.
Emergency medical personnel are among our most important front-line responders and providing them with the necessary tools and leadership to do their jobs most effectively is not only critical to EMS personnel, but also the public they serve. EMS is a resource that needs to be fully exploited; its potential has long been ignored by the mayor’s office and CFD leadership.
Chicago residents deserve a first-rate fire department. For Chicago to achieve this it must swiftly conclude a contract and then move on to address a raft of issues that are degrading CFD and placing the rank in file in harms way. This means creating a pipeline that can draw future Firefighters and Paramedics from the community while adhering to high standards. Having a fair promotion system that is regular, transparent and recognizes experience and accomplishment. Providing CFD personal with the best vehicles, equipment and protective gear. Ensuring firehouses meet high environmental standards. Providing CFD with the mental health services and support that their high stress jobs demand. These issues are the floor not the ceiling and are long overdue.
Update: The Ambulance and Paramedic Field Chief lists were released on Monday, December 2, 2024.
