From Associated Firefighters of Oak Brook IAFF Local 4646:
At 7:30 this morning fire department staffing has been reduced by 27% a day. These decisions were made based on the agenda of a few of the current Oak Brook Trustees and certainly not with the safety of the residents and visitors of Oak Brook in mind. As always, we will do everything we can to respond to and handle your emergencies. We just want to make everyone aware that we are no longer able to staff the same amount of ambulances and fire equipment today that we could staff yesterday. With this change you may be waiting a little longer for us to respond to your emergencies. As a matter of fact, it might not even be us responding at all. You might be waiting for an ambulance or fire engine from a completely different town!
thanks Tim
#1 by Tom Foley on April 16, 2021 - 11:26 PM
Thanks, Mike, for the detailed pension info. For some reason when I was authoring the post, I neglected to think about how social security doesn’t apply.
I still contend pension reform is something that needs to be further looked at across the state (as a general statement). The fact that pensions can be grossly underfunded… is all but criminal in my mind. It actually feels like a breach of contract. I work and provide faithful service in return for certain benefits… including pension. Only to find out it may not be there? I mean, that’s just about as much BS as it gets.
If the current model of pensions, equipment, and staffing is expensive and not able to be funded today for many of these departments, what does it look like in the future? Heck, even 5-10 years. As tax revenue and/or fees being the main funding source, I also don’t see how much you can continue to increase taxes before even more people leave the state.
I think smarter answers are out there. I think some involve consolidation especially of smaller communities. Ideally with little job losses, but savings on equipment and being better able to utilize resources across a now larger district.
I also know I’m not the smartest in the room. But something is going to have to be drawn up as funding is a ticking time bomb. And starting to show itself in dramatic form with the reliance on mutual aid for calls that should be handled in town… but aren’t because of cuts to staff, houses, equipment.
#2 by Mike on April 5, 2021 - 1:04 PM
Tom everything you brought up is spot on, minus the pension issue. The pensions are all over the place funding wise because the employing entities decided to either fund them or not. When Jim Edgar was the governor, he signed into law the pension holiday and reamortization law. The pension holiday made it legal for entities to skip payments and the reamortization law pushed the 70% funding back until 2020. The 2008 market crash showed exactly what municipalities were paying into funds and that they were just doing as little as possible. In 2010 the firefighter’s agreed to tier 2 pension laws for new hires after 1/1/2011. This raised the collection age from 50 to 55, reduced the cola raise and changed the way retirement pay is calculated. This was all the IML wanted and it was given to them in exchange for the forced funding mechanism. The funding mechanism was going into law in 2016 so they had 5 years to plan for this. The IML tier 2 pensions show a significant savings once tier 2 guys start retiring. Most firefighters that are in article 4 pensions cannot pay into social security per federal law so the pension is all they have. Going to a 401k style retirement with no social security is terrible. And it has been proven around the country that entities that went to this retirement ended up switching back because it cost more and the retention of employees went down dramatically.
The bigger issue is how departments are funded for operational costs and the driving costs of equipment and apparatus replacement. Ambulances are 250k now and an engine is 4-600k. It’s a lot to budget for.
#3 by Tom Foley on April 5, 2021 - 12:20 PM
I don’t see funding issues going away. Only getting worse. I have long disliked the idea and reliance on MABAS to fill unfunded gaps. If a town like Oak Brook is going to rely on Elmhurst (or other neighbors) for equipment and the like, it is not “mutual”. The taxpayers of Elmhurst are potentially, then, paying more for their department and not receiving all the benefit when it is used out of town. Would Oak Brook be able to supplement Elmhurst to help reciprocate? Probably not to a point to where it becomes mutual.
The only fair way I see, in that regard, is to make a fire district to where everyone is paying into the pot equally (or at least respectively). And, in many cases, I think this can yield efficiencies… especially in equipment. Take LaGrange, Western Springs, LGPK, Hinsdale… do each of these departments need a reserve engine? As stand alone departments, the answer is probably answered “yes” and probably sound. However, let’s say these were all one district… perhaps you go from 4 spare engines to 2. Still, suitable reserve quantity… and reduced operating costs. With rotation of front line equipment, the average age may even end up newer. And, no adverse affect on staffing or service. (Same applied to ambos.)
Let’s be fair, funding has gotten completely out of control in government… especially Illinois. It’s a problem created largely by local and state governments. And, pension funding is at the center of a lot of it. Unpopular opinion, but less pension funding and more 401k style retirement option needs to be the new norm. Perhaps a pension can be applicable at age 55 under usual terms (if that is the eligible fire dept retirement age), but then stops at age 59.5. Then, 401k becomes available. Let the market fund retirement rather than the taxpayers. (I would favor a match to 401k, paid for by taxpayers, that is often seen up to a certain percent, to help grow the person’s retirement fund.)
#4 by Tom W on April 5, 2021 - 6:47 AM
Brothers and Sisters,
Please, please do not respond any further to Dan’s posts! He obviously has no clue what he is referencing or talking about. It is apparent that he has a vendetta against the Fire Service in general.
With that being said, stay safe and healthy!
#5 by Mike on April 5, 2021 - 6:23 AM
Dan, you’re wrong…..again…. go figure. Mabas isn’t here to supplement a department because they choose to reduce staffing. Years ago when broad view laid off half its department and said “we’ll just use mabas to supplement they were told that’s not what it’s there for by the mabas board and surrounding departments. Same for Barrington when they split with their fire district, lake Zurich when they were closing firehouses. Why should other departments be taxed with normal day to day responses? Since OB reduced a firemen company why should OBT or Elmhurst or any of their other neighbors be forced to fill in gaps everyday? What about those tax paying residents? Again, this isn’t Volleyworld this is one of the most affluent areas in the state being cheap again.
#6 by Dan on April 5, 2021 - 1:24 AM
The days of every fire department handling all their calls by themselves is over. That’s why they have the MABAS system. And this is pretty effective in the suburbs where they don’t have a large area size to cover.
I know the unions don’t like it, but too bad, they have to understand current fire Dept. policies and reality.
#7 by Mike on April 4, 2021 - 4:49 PM
This move isn’t going to save any money. Before the cuts they staffed 11 people per day: 5+5+1. They current have 28 between the 3 shifts and per the villages own release will have 8 people per day: 5+2+1. So 2 shifts have 8 and 1 shift has 9. So any vacation, sick, injury, training to school at least 1 person is going to be on overtime, most days it will be 2 people on overtime. There will be no savings and the reduction in service will still be there. The village says they will staff 2 ambulances and the ladder truck, so the engine at the other firehouse will be out of service. This isn’t going to go well.
#8 by FFPM571 on April 4, 2021 - 4:20 PM
Even when Oak Brook was fully staffed. They depended quite a bit on the neighboring towns for help. Now this will strain Elmhurst, Westmont,OBTR, York Center, and Downers Grove to assist when they are committed on more than one ambulance call or minor incident. The $900K they are saving is easy to cut out, But God forbid anything happens to the Polo Grounds they waste $900k a year on Lanscaping
#9 by Chris S on April 4, 2021 - 12:59 PM
This is why I will never live in a suburb
#10 by Cmk420 on April 4, 2021 - 8:06 AM
Wow! I got to say something about this. If I am reading this correctly, Oak Brook now only has seven qualified FF/PM on each shift between two stations–that is three per station plus one BC. You are talking about the jump company concept again, which means if the ambulance is out on a run, then the engine/squad or ladder truck sits unstaffed. What about that potential second call, in that same still District, and that fire suppression vehicle is needed. It’s not safe.
Yes, Covid has taken its toll on revenue streams, but why are we are risking public safety every time a local municipality needs to cut their budget?? Not exactly the best move. Many years ago, I worked for a local fire protection district that was combination FT, PT and contract, with the six contract PSI medics staffing the one ambulance we ran over three shifts. It was quite successful. I realize it’s a lot different now, but public safety should never take a backseat to anything.
#11 by Dan on April 4, 2021 - 6:30 AM
Pat, you’re right about getting rid of the private paramedics. But again, as I stated before, their run numbers don’t support having any extra paramedics. In 2019, based on their run numbers, each ambulance averages about 3-4 calls a day. The fire Dept. paramedics are not being overworked. So, why need the extra paramedics? And if by chance both ambulances are out, yes, mutual aid comes into play, which is the norm in the suburbs of Chicago.
#12 by Pat on April 4, 2021 - 5:38 AM
Dan, obviously you don’t know what you are talking about. I know you are a volunteer for a bunch of years off your other posts. Oakbrook is getting rid of their private ambulance paramedics. Look into what PSI paramedics are. So the union wants to keep their private ambulance paramedics, but the village is getting rid of them. Also, look at the day time, week day population for Oakbrook, that is why they have larger staffing than most departments that cover 7,000 residents.
#13 by Dan on April 3, 2021 - 10:39 PM
The village has about 7,883 residents at the last census with some large businesses in the district.
The staffing seems more than adequate and in fact, a village that size normally has volunteers to supplement the full time staff.
And no, they do not need career union firefighters as paramedics. Private ambulance services could provide the care.
This is just another union scare tactic, and it makes the firefighting profession look unprofessional.
#14 by Michael m on April 3, 2021 - 12:30 PM
So it sounds like Squad 93 is going to be out of service and they are going to be running Medic 93, Ladder 94 and Medic 94 and the BC.
#15 by FFPM571 on April 3, 2021 - 12:23 PM
Now even more towns will be bailing out Oak Brook more than before.. Most times when they did have a fire in one of the mansions other towns were there first and put the fires out anyway
#16 by Mike on April 3, 2021 - 10:06 AM
Hi fan, thanks for your 0.02 about this. And as usual nobody cares about it because your opinion is not only wrong but jaded and uneducated. Reading below. Oak brook actually runs more fire related responses then ambulance calls and their district is a huge target hazard because of home size and hi rises. The elected officials years ago attacked the firemen during contract negotiations referring to them as street people. Listening to the village meetings the elected officials have no idea what they’re doing and won’t even listen to the fire chief who said any loss of manpower is going to lead to a company closure and reduction in service. Last year the elected officials started looking at a staffing concept like Westmont. All part time fire and contracted ambulance saying this would be equal coverage to what they have now. These officials are honestly in their own little world where reality isn’t anywhere near them. This is going to end badly as it always does when a reduction in service happens. Then they can explain some bullshit answer and blame the firemen for this, like usual.
Below is the statement released by the union and a stake to released by the village president. Enjoy
Union press release
On April 1st, 2021 the Village of Oak Brook eliminated 9 paramedics from the fire department by eliminating the contract it had with Paramedic Services of Illinois (PSI). The Village of Oak Brook has historically used PSI to supplement fire department staffing as opposed to hiring career union firefighter/paramedics. This staffing model has been used by the Village of Oak Brook since 1989. Over time the number of PSI paramedics increased in order to fully staff the fire department ambulances and fire apparatus as call volume increased. In this same time, the number of career union firefighters and career non-union command staff has been lowered and today sits at a 30 year low with a total of 20 union firefighter/paramedics, 6 union lieutenant/paramedics, 2 non-union battalion chief/paramedics, and a non-union chief/paramedic.
In preparation for the elimination of 3 paramedics a day the non-union command staff, with over 125 years of combined fire service experience, developed a response plan to revise the current staffing model. This plan was developed using national standards, local EMS guidelines, Oak Brook Fire Department response history, and current growth of the Village to meet the needs of the residents and visitors of Oak Brook. This response plan was in use for only 24 hours when the village president ordered the fire chief to change it. Fire department operational decisions are now being dictated by village officials with no experience in the fire service as opposed to the fire department command staff.
On April 2nd 2021 the village president released a “public safety informational message”. We would like to draw your attention to the part that states there will be “3 firefighter/paramedics for any fire call which will need our truck to assist”.
THIS MEANS THE VILLAGE OF OAK BROOK WILL NOW HAVE ONLY 3 FIREFIGHTER/PARAMEDICS TO HANDLE ALL NON-EMS RELATED INCIDENTS IN OAK BROOK!
This type of thinking is as unsafe as it is irresponsible.
The village president does mention the 1029 emergency calls our ambulance “accomplished” in 2020. He fails to mention the fact that most of these calls were handled with the assistance of the 3 firefighter/paramedics on fire apparatus that followed the ambulance as part of the EMS response. He also fails to mention the 1224 non-EMS incidents that our 2 fire apparatus responded to in 2020 staffed with a total of 6 firefighter/paramedics. The village president goes on to say, “According to State reports filed by our fire department, the specialized fire suppression equipment in a fire truck has never once been activated during an ambulance call”. We agree, we do not use fire pumps on ambulance calls. When the fire truck responds to an ambulance call, we use the specialized EMS equipment that we carry. He should be telling you how many times a firefighter/paramedic took a blood pressure, applied a cardiac monitor, started an IV, did CPR, administered lifesaving medications, or consoled a grieving family member. Contrary to what the village president and a few of the trustees have been stating in public, the fire department has never stated that they “staff an ambulance call for an active fire.” The response to an ambulance call is strictly for the medical emergency, regardless of whether the firefighter/paramedics are in an ambulance or fire truck.
We also agree that ambulances should be staffed with career union firefighter/paramedics, as should our fire apparatus so that we are able to best respond to various other emergencies. These include auto accidents, structure fires, car fires, rubbish fires, smoke in the building, elevator rescues, carbon monoxide emergencies, downed power lines, natural gas leaks, residential lock outs, hazardous material responses, water rescues, technical rescue incidents, residential fire alarms, and commercial fire alarms.
The Village of Oak Brook is a unique community comprised of large high value homes, a large mall that contains over 170 businesses, 9 highrise buildings, 6 hotels, 300 plus commercial fire alarm systems, 2 major interstate tollways, and hundreds of millions of dollars in commercial developments currently underway. We are not Hinsdale or Westmont and should not be compared. The fire department should be staffed based on the needs of the community, not someone’s political agenda.
Village president press release
Important public safety informational message for you and your family from our Village President Dr. Gopal Lalmalani.
In response to misinformation in the community, residents have contacted me for clarification.
As of Thursday, April 1, 2021, the Oak Brook Fire Department’s Paramedic Ambulance service is staffed by full time, accredited, advance life support fire fighters. 7 Firefighter/Paramedics will be on duty per shift with 4 Firefighter/Paramedics for our 2 ambulances and 3 Firefighter/Paramedics for any fire call which will need our truck to assist. No salaries have been cut and no unionized fire fighters have lost their jobs or had their hours reduced. Ambulance services will remain unchanged. Our two ambulance services will continue.
Before April 1, 2021, non-union paramedic contractors hired from an outside agency staffed our ambulance calls. Now, our own firefighters are directly operating both of our ambulances. No ambulance has been taken out of service.
In 2020, our ambulances accomplished 1,270 emergency calls, and 1,029 of those calls responded to emergency medical incidents not involving a car accident. According to State reports filed by our Fire Department, the specialized fire suppression equipment in a fire truck has never once been activated during an ambulance call. We expect the same need for ambulances this year.
The Oak Brook Fire Department is fully staffed to deliver the same ambulance service according to national fire industry response standards, in full compliance with State reporting, and as directed by the DuComm 911 dispatch service that serves many of our surrounding communities. If our ambulances are busy with calls, our mutual aid system will be available to supplement any life safety emergency within the Village. The health and safety of our residents is our first priority, and in no way are ambulance service levels being reduced or compromised. As a Village President and a doctor, the health and safety of our residents is my primary concern. If you have any questions or need further clarification, feel free to reach out to me at the Village Hall or email me.
Thank you for your kind attention.
Gopal Lalmalani
#17 by MABAS 21 on April 3, 2021 - 8:04 AM
I adamantly disagree with closing stations or shutting down companies, but have to play devil’s advocate here. Consider the fact that the village MAY be hurting financially, like everyone else, due to Covid. I don’t know when their fiscal year ends/starts, but keep in mind all the retail, food and beverage sales tax revenue that they lost when everything was closed because of the lockdown. Also all of the retail and restaurants that folded up and are no longer providing revenue to the city which pays for salaries and operational expenses.
But on the flip side, in the recent past several very opinionated trustees and residents, that know absolutely nothing about the fire service, have been proponents for dismantling the fire department and downsizing it to the bare minimum.
I wish Local 4646 the best of luck with fighting this potentially long battle to preserve jobs, keep safe staffing levels and continue to provide services that are essential to the residents. But also do your diligence on researching why this happened and negotiate realistically because the financial burden may be a temporary issue where you don’t want to burn your bridges with the bean counters.
#18 by Dan on April 2, 2021 - 11:30 PM
In 2019, the department averaged about 7 ambulance calls a day or about 3-4 calls a day per ambulance.
Not exactly overworked.
#19 by Michael m on April 2, 2021 - 10:23 PM
I would imagine that the mall is a huge tax base for Oak Brook.
How old is ladder 94? I believe it is a 2013 or 2014. Isn’t Squad 93 a 2017 or 2018?
#20 by Michael m on April 2, 2021 - 10:19 PM
Agreed, this does not seem like a money issue. Perhaps this is something similar to Glenview when they just want to save money, hence the cancellation of the PSI contract. I am sure this will be the case until something happens (Des Plaines).
I would imagine the fire threat in Oak Brook is low, I am sure 90 percent of their calls are EMS. It does not make any sense to take a ambulance out of service, especially since there is the mall and the toll road.
#21 by harry on April 2, 2021 - 9:59 PM
oak brook fd is not hurting for money why the change