A recent article in the *Chicago Sun-Times* highlights the growing financial burden on the Chicago Fire Department due to rising overtime costs, as city officials and aldermen scrutinize the situation. The department is expected to spend $43 million on overtime this year—more than double the original budget—due to long-standing legal challenges that have hindered hiring.
According to a top mayoral aide, the issue stems from past discrimination lawsuits that blocked the department from recruiting new firefighters. These legal hurdles led to a shortage of personnel, forcing the department to rely heavily on overtime. In 2011, overtime costs were around $13.5 million, but by 2014, they are projected to reach $35.3 million. Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s 2013 budget allocated $20 million for overtime, but Fire Commissioner Jose Santiago confirmed that actual spending will exceed that significantly.
At City Council budget hearings, Santiago admitted that legal issues with the Law Department had effectively halted hiring for years. “We couldn’t hire firefighters,†he said. However, the department is now taking steps to address the problem. Starting November 18, 150 recruits will begin training at the fire academy, with additional classes following closely behind. This plan aims to fill current vacancies and prepare for future retirements.
Santiago estimated that 245 firefighters will retire in 2013, leaving the department with just 4,700 employees out of a full strength of about 5,100. Ald. Scott Waguespack (32nd) questioned why the department didn’t push harder for more hires, especially given the minimum staffing requirements that led to the 1980 strike. He also raised concerns over the city’s proposal to reduce staffing on fire apparatus from 10 to 9, a move strongly opposed by the firefighters’ union.
The legal challenges aren’t limited to hiring. Earlier this year, the city agreed to pay nearly $2 million—and an additional $1.7 million in legal fees—to compensate women who were unfairly denied firefighter positions due to a discriminatory physical test. A similar settlement was made last year for African-American applicants affected by a flawed 1995 exam, which required the city to borrow $78.4 million.
Beyond staffing, the Fire Department also faces aging equipment. Fire engines and hook-and-ladders are supposed to last six years, but in Chicago, their average age is over 11. Fire trucks should last seven and a half years, yet many are 15 years old. Ambulances, meant to last two and a half years, are now averaging 6.2 years. This has led to efforts to replace 25 ambulances this year.
Commissioner Santiago also addressed concerns about emergency response times. While the department claims it meets state standards—responding to fires in 3 minutes and 35 seconds and medical emergencies in 5 minutes and 5 seconds—Inspector General Joe Ferguson recently criticized the department for failing to meet national benchmarks. Ald. Anthony Beale (9th) urged Santiago to work with the inspector general to ensure the 9th Ward isn’t ranked last in response times, emphasizing that even seconds can be life-saving.
This ongoing crisis underscores the complex challenges facing the Chicago Fire Department as it tries to balance legal obligations, staffing shortages, and aging infrastructure.
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