Further fire cuts threaten safety in Elgin
Elgin city officials are endangering their constituents with staff cuts in the city's fire department. As the city expands, the fire service shrinks.
Elgin's residential population is 112,100, and by 2020 will grow to between 120,000 and 135,000. Including commuters and shoppers, Elgin serves a quarter million people each day.
Its fire department provides fire response, emergency medical services and numerous technical rescue capabilities within the city's 38 square mile area. Cutting fire and medical emergency shift staffs while the city grows is dangerous public policy.
Shift staffing is a critical component for fire, rescue and medical response. Eight years ago, Elgin's government reduced the shift staff from 36 to 34. Despite a steady increase in the number of emergency calls into the fire department, city officials now have reduced staffing from 34 to 32.
Springfield has a population of 115,000 and a fire department head count of 220. Elgin's head count is 133 firefighters. On a per-shift basis, Springfield keeps 49 firefighters on duty per every 24-hour shift against 32 in Elgin.
Elgin is deficient compared to neighboring communities, too. Look at these suburbs: Arlington Heights, Aurora, Des Plaines, Evanston, Joliet, Oak Park, Skokie and Waukegan. Elgin ranks last of the nine communities in staffing per square mile, with its .85 firefighter/sq. mi. average on the low side and 3.59 at the top end of the scale.
The National Fire Protection Association criticized Elgin for the cuts. When the staff level was at 36 firefighters per shift, the NFPA standards showed Elgin as just 70 percent effective; that level dropped to 54 percent when the shifts were cut to 34 firefighters. Surely the effectiveness level will be reduced further as staff size is slashed to just 32 per shift.
It's time Elgin's city officials prioritize the safety of its citizens and the first responders who protect them.
Pat Devaney, President
Associated Fire Fighters of Illinois
Springfield