Steve Shetsky - Northern District Legislative Representative

Proper staffing is the very first step in firefighter safety!

Lives Depend on It: Staffing Study Calls for More Firefighters in Our Community

Over the years, the Oak Park Fire Department’s size and capabilities have not kept pace with the ever increasing, and oftentimes, record-setting, number of calls. Over a year ago, Oak Park Firefighters Local 95 initiated a study to be conducted on the Oak Park Fire Department. Through our affiliation with the International Association of Fire Fighters, this study was conducted at no cost to the Village of Oak Park nor its residents.

Utilizing historical call data, the study compares the Village of Oak Park Fire Department’s performance and response capabilities to the industry standards contained in National Fire Protection Association (NFPA ® ) Standard 1500: Standard on Fire Department Occupational Safety and Health and NFPA 1710: Standard for the Organization and Deployment of Fire Suppression Operations, Emergency Medical Operations, and Special Operations to the Public by Career Fire Departments.

That was a mouthful, and to put it another way, it’s a report card that compares your Fire Department to the standards outlined by the NFPA.

The results are in and following presentations with Village Leadership, both appointed and elected, we felt it was important to share this information with you as well. We understand that this study is data driven, extremely detailed and thus, may be hard to interpret. We are starting a series of posts to not only share the information but also show you why it matters to not just us but to you, the residents and visitors to our community.

Please utilize the following link to be taken to the study.
OPFD Study Link https://gis.iaff.org/portal/apps/storymaps/templates/0ea9c2f415864af28e71c783816bbc93

The results of the study are clear: based on national standards, the Oak Park Fire Department is insufficiently staffed and action is needed to keep pace with the demands of today's emergencies.

The immediate recommendation from the study calls for the hiring of nine new firefighters to bring the department closer to NFPA 1710 MINIMUM standard of 4 firefighters per fire apparatus, up from a current of only 3 firefighters.

This would be the first step in a commitment to move the department closer to meeting these standards. This will help ensure that when you or your family call 911, the right number of trained firefighters arrive quickly and ready to protect lives and property.

Study Recommendations:

Immediate -

9 new firefighter positions to begin staffing 4 firefighters per apparatus.

Add a command staff aid firefighter position to assist Battalion Chiefs during structure fires.

Long Term -

Add an Engine to the downtown station.

Rebuild and possibly relocate Station 2.

Bring fire apparatus up to a total of 6 firefighters per fire apparatus to match NFPA 1710 staffing recommendations based on the village's population density.

The Facts:

Call volume has increased from 3923 calls in 1992 to 8945 calls in 2024. This represents a 128% increase. 2025 is on pace to easily be another record year in calls surpassing 9000 calls for the first time.

In that same time period staffing has gone from 82 sworn firefighters in 1992 to a current of 66 sworn shift firefighters. We are also 4 members shorter than that currently due to recruitment issues the department faces.

Chibuike Enyia for Oak Park Village Trustee

Jenna Leving Jacobson for Oak Park Village Trustee

Taglia for Trustee

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