"Reshape" CFD
A poor excuse for four years without a Contract, but we can see where the argument takes shape:
Mayor Brandon Johnson says firefighters and paramedics have waited four years for a new contract and the pay raise that comes with it because he’s trying to reshape the Chicago Fire Department to handle emergency medical assistance demands that comprise two-thirds of all calls for service.
During a midterm interview with the Chicago Sun-Times and WBEZ, Johnson offered his most pointed explanation to date for why the acrimonious negotiations with Chicago Fire Fighters Union Local 2 are headed for arbitration that poses risks for both sides.
With a $1.12 billion shortfall and $3 billion more in federal funds on the chopping block, the mayor is determined to confront a cost-cutting challenge his predecessors avoided.
“Not just in Chicago, but around the country, there’s a shift in terms of first responders. There’s a greater need for ambulatory care than there is for traditional fire trucks,” he said. “There’s a need for us to figure out how to have the type of innovative approach toward what the demands will be for first responders moving forward.”
He has a point (not just the one on top of his head). If two-thirds of the CFD calls are ambulance runs, then it's proper to weight the Department toward ambulances. Having engines and trucks respond is needless wear and tear on equipment and infrastructure. They can't transport patients either.
At the same time, some firefighters have told us the Department hasn't bought a new fire truck / engine / tower ladder in years. Most of the apparatus is two and three generations out-of-date. Much of it is down for repair or running with broken equipment. Response times are failing to meet national standards and it's being whispered that certifications are in danger for the entire Department. We've seen wheels falling off trucks and heard of multiple engines being dispatched to small fires because one of the engines might be out of order.
There's a need for massive reform within the CFD. But that isn't the fault of the individual firefighter who has been working without a Contract for four years. It's the administrative side of things and that's all politics.
Labels: fire fighters
posted by SCC at 12:05 AM
98 Comments:
Every firehouse should have a Ford Explorer like vehicle in which 4 fire fighters can use to ride to EMS jobs instead of using engines, trucks and tower ladder trucks which take the worst and most expensive beating.
The Mayor doesn’t want to negotiate in good faith. I wants to mess over union works.
CFD joins with teachers union. WTF. CFD getting as bad as bullshit teachers if that is even fuckin possible. Teachers in cps have always been lazy do nothing fucks working 6 mos a year. A lot haven’t even lived in the city since the early 1980s.
Back in the 70s and 80s the city had surplus cutting edge gear in most depts. Over time they have cut equipment budgets as prices went up and the need to buy votes and import new voters has gone way up. In 1979 we has over 50 brand new Mercedes unimog twin engine snow blowers. 100k a piece and world class. Aviation, streets and San all had new equipment. It's all gone by the wayside as pandering to the greedy teachers and the lowest common denominator mob has become all important. This is what happened to Detroit. Enough is never enough for the gold chain escalade poor. The die is cast, they will run it into the ground,blame whitey and Trump. In 20 years they will be selling cleared blocks on the south side for farm land like Detroit and claiming a renesance as poor migrants buy up acreage in the city and raise goats. No stopping it now,just get out of its way and let pritzger acres develop 1000s of acres of cannabis on former city land. Former residents will be welcomed with open arms in naperville and Deerfield I'm sure. Sell now.
Soon to be Detroit West. The fire personal can start bringing any needed supplies,& equipment they need from home. Tragic! That one of the Greatest Cities in America has turned into this.
Strange Brandon does not want to "reshape" the failing school system to ensure that all students are reading and writing at grade level. And when will Brandon implement cost cutting in the school system by closing and consolidating under utilized schools.
Make them paid on call save millions
The man needs to consult a dictionary before he speaks. Ambulatory care has nothing to do with ambulances. Ambulatory care is clinics and outpatient medicine he means emergency medical care. Second the lower amount of major fire incidents is the whole point of having a fully manned fd. The point is they are there when you need them. Not to “right size” and the next time someone’s cousins high rise who used foam as a firewall burns you turn around and find you don’t have anyone to send. Fires happen anywhere and everywhere. And when they happen it’s super easy for a fire union to say “if engine 20 was still here maybe we could have saved them”.
Four years and still no contract, that seems a bit egregious. It’s gonna be one hell of a back paycheck.
It’s 90% EMS now.
Eliminate the 5th man on the truck. FDNY, LAFD, and every other major city has only 4 persons assigned per truck/run. The Chicago Fire Department had 5 persons assigned per truck/run. Chicago is outdated. The Mayor is correct on this one.
Settled the teacher's contract right away. No talk about reshaping the CPS or CTU. Plenty of waste to eliminate there and a potential to teach some of these kids trade skills at the high school level. Big need for people in all the trades across the board.
It’s not your grandfathers dept anymore or even your dads dept anymore it’s all ems based 95% of the time if you see an engine or truck in traffic it’s because they are coming from or going to some lame ems run ambulance assist. Thats all it is now there are still fires for sure but theyre now rare the entire dept is based around assisting the usual suspects just like cpd.
I guess cone head hasn't payed attention to what happened out in commiefornia, piss poor planning is never a good in an emergency, maybe the percentage of property taxes for schools should be switched over to the all first responders.
How about not needing to send an arrestee to hospital in an ambulance because they claim to have a headache ! When in fact it's an easy ploy to not have to wait on an uncomfortable mattress in lock up ( I don't blame them) they're just using the system, designed by bureaucrats ! Those ambos ain't free !
Major city should have plenty of firetrucks. God forbid there was a 9/11 event, would there be enough trucks and ambos? Also, I'm guessing a lot of ambo calls are for people who just want to be first in the ER. How many should go to an immediate care and not the ER??
It was 90% EMS calls, 7% fire and 3% hazardous material 25 years ago. They have since changed the definition of a police officer. Get with the times CFD.
There is so much prejudice in CfD still today against EMS and medics
Three days ago the conehead douchebag is on ABC 7 saying this- "I've never heard anyone demonstrate animus towards more jobs; we are the most pro-worker city in America," Johnson said. Quote was after Beale pushed back on conehead's billion dollar green housing plan. No excuses! Pay these medics and firefighters.
Wrong! FDNY has 5 and 6 man truck companies. Please do some research! LA city runs mostly light task force’s so they are getting 8 people on scene initially where as Chicago does not do that so having 5 makes a big difference.
I suppose you always agree with J Cat and the executive board on everything they do? Hell, lodge 7 endorsed sparklefarts when he was a state level politician. Your complaint is pointless.
And the clownish mayor had the tall to show up at Dave Meyer's funeral.
Same could be done to the cops.
Hood rats are the problem.
The very first step to resolving the excessive amount of EMS runs is call screening. The EMS system is abused and broken. When considering manpower FDNY does not count lieutenants and captains on engines, trucks and squads as manpower, they are supervisors. CFD counts company officers as working manpower, company officers should not use tools and perform tasks they should supervise those tasks. The CFD lost its direction ten or more years ago when it was more important to satisfy DEI than ability and experience, unfortunately that’s the result being a blue city. As for equipment it’s been more important to provide for illegal migration than for the citizens of Chicago. Unfortunately equipment issues are not new, the CFD has had twenty year old apparatus for decades, the city only react to crisis. Local 2 might do better to negotiate a short term contract and wait this one term socialist out.
All the tax payer funding Clown BJ is cutting from both the PD and FD will go to the part-time teacher's fat pay raise, oh and not to mention the Illegal's housing, the feds are about to cut state and local funding and we the tax payers better get the lube ready, it's coming. Those of you that can leave IL should do so now!
Yo! send me an ambulance so they can carry me to da hospital, Now! I has a tummy ache!!!
Does anybody else find it a little scary that a politician with almost no political experience is "trying to reshape the Chicago Fire Department" ? I mean, what are his qualifications in Emergency management? He's been reshaping Chicago's budget and the city is broke now. CFD has trucks they cant repair and are falling apart. Is this his plan for reshaping?
The voters of Chicago are dumb AF for electing this tool. He is already causing generations of problems and issues in this once great city.
FDNY and LA actually both run 6 man rigs but ok...
Off topic … has anyone heard that the offender from the police involved shooting in Hammond Indiana on Thursday is an illegal from Venezuela??? Checking the validity of this claim if anyone knows.
What happens when they get called to a fire while return to quarters from the EMS run?
FDNY runs 6 men on their ladder trucks
So firefighters and EMTS go over 4 years without a pay raise but certain aldermanic aides get 5 and 6 figure bonuses. BS.
Insurance underwriters and business’s decide what Kind of Fire Dept you get.Rates are set by water supply(Chicago has the best rating there)And the distance the insured is from a Fire house.Chicago is about a mile and a half in distance.If it is decided we can afford the rate of 2or 3 miles, houses will close.At one time we had 130 houses we now have 98.And as of 30 years ago 30 rigs a day have one less man.And if I had more time I would talk about how people(or folk) are taught how to get a ambo to taxi them to a Doctor.
California cities also have private ambulances to transport patients. Even Critical care.
In the 90’s they actually sent too firehouses,Chiefs suggesting Chicago could go volunteer.He couldn’t understand why we couldn’t stop laughing at him.
"Big need for people in all the trades across the board."
YES!
And the unions are accepting new apprentices without age limits.
But they must pass reading, math and drug tests. would you want some dumb ass working on your house?
They will also need transportation to the job site and the apprentice school ON TIME!
l.U. 597 Built their school in Mokena, after Chicago shit on them with incessant demands. No buses go to their school.
Look closely at a construction site, most of the young ones are Hispanic and working hard.
If the job description doesn't say AIR CONDITIONING, THAT IS A RED LINE MANY WILL NOT CROSS.
Black, white, brown, male, female, XYZ, all that can pass the basic tests are welcome.
An honest line of work with lots of fresh air.
You will change your tune when you end up at 219 S Dearborn meeting the Loevy & Loevy law firm when they ask about your personal assets for your failure to provide aid to their client. That is after you get fired. Yes I know there is scamming but don't be the one holding the bag for a dead arrestee.
You got THAT right, kid!
How does that make any sense. Sit at your home at the edge of the city. Get the call to go to somewhere in the middle of the city say 009, by the time you get there half the city will be burned down.
Ambulatory??? This friggn moron was educating children..
That’s not true FDNY has 6 la city has 9-14 depending on the task force level (heavy or light). LA county has 5
Ask yourself who would you want responding to your house on Fire? A short staffed Engine or Truck on a Variance? Rusted and broken down rigs that might or might not operate properly? Yes the trend of EMS is up and Fires are down is always talked about. But don’t all citizen’s deserve the best on the day they need to call for help? Something the Politicians need to consider. They probably don’t give a F.
It’s two community ass mayors trying to “right wrongs” by redistributing wealth right down the sewer. He wants to “reshape” CFD, all while keeping dozens of unneeded schools open and staffed.
Where was the reshaping to CPS. At least CFD provides services that people see. Imagine if CFD only put out 14% of fires, or what ever the low CPS numbers are for grade level reading.
We have a mayor who has no concept of economics. When the ability of the fire department to handle fires diminishes, the cost of property insurance increases. The mayor's antics towards the fire department are going to cost property owners (business and home) millions.
Have you ever noticed the push for LEMART and the expansion of training that we are getting in first aid/immediate care? I have said this before but the push is going to be to have us (police) take on a larger role as care providers to alleviate the situation with the fire department. Don’t be surprised if we start seeing officers trained as EMTs in the coming years. It’s been done in other jurisdictions and the “consent decree monitor” has the basic language included that makes police provided medical care required if trained in it. The LEMART guys keep getting more advanced-we are long past tourniquet application and venturing into aspects of advanced trauma life support in the training now-only getting more advanced every year. The skills are valuable but it’s just another responsibility that is being put on us.
So 2/3 of the CFD runs are ambulances? Okay what exactly are these runs for? Heart attacks, broken bones, a cut finger, someone needs an aspirin for their hangover? I ask this question because in the 2000's I lived in Northern Virginia so I got to watch the local news stations in DC. The DC Fire Department also had a shortage of working equipment, especially paramedic units. The union head was interviewed on TV and he essentially said there was a certain demographic of DC's population that used the paramedics as a concierge medical service. Cut you finger, call 911 and get a paramedic. Need aspirin for your headache, call a paramedic. People were literally dying because the paramedics could not cover all service calls they had. I think they solved the problem by hiring more paramedics and buying more ambulance units.
But where will alderman find jobs/spaces for all these people they clouted for?
I was afraid that their sacred Pinch and Tickle time would be eliminated.
Now, kees me you fool!!!!
+1^
Four years for the Firefighters, but the CTU had no contract for eight months so who got theirs first? The CTU! More important then the Firefighters! The teachers can strike, but the CFD can't! Next time that their is a Emergency, send the closest Teacher! That is if they are working!
The first project that conehead should reshape is the hair on top of his empty dome. Talk about looking like a fool.
I dropped my TV remote and can’t reach it. Gonna call 911 at 3 am and tell them I needs help off the floor.
I needs out of this house to go to the casino. I’ll call 911 and tell them I needs help down to stairs to get to the doctor. Call them when I get back for help up the stairs. Here they come in that rusty truck gonna fall apart.
We hate them drug dealers down the block. Gonna lite up their back porches cause the fire engine out cause I called in a person shot.
Let’s put this comment under Thanks Fatass Pritker the gas tax went up again. He’s running for What?
100% agree!
This is not new.The trend of EMS calls increasing while fire calls decreasing has been steadily gone on since over 30 years ago.The historical tribal mentality of firefighters and the majority of the political sway by firefighters has kept the numbers of ambulances and paramedic personnel numbers down.This is the mentality of self preservation.Paramedics were looked at as intruders in the fire houses since the early seventies.The firefighters originally did not want the paramedics in “their”union.Nepotism was rampant and has decreased due to changing times with the increase of baby boomer generation aging and increased need for medical emergency care.Increases in crime helped bring those numbers up too.One theory also is that the dramatic increase in cell phones greatly lessens the time of detection of fires along with smoke detectors required in every building.Most routine fires are put out in their early stages.One practical solution would be to reduce manning on fire companies by one and transfer all savings to grow EMS in a city that study after study has recommended the city of chicago needs at least 100 ambulances.1 less firefighter on every fire company can release resources to buy new rigs.Nepotism along with the mentality that I can not get my kid on the job will be affected by the real changes that need to be made.The politics in and outside of the firehouses needs to change to better meet the needs of our citizens.Paramedics help everybody including firefighters,police,and other paramedics.
I never wanted to rush into a burning building. Nor did I want to put that gas mask on to take the stinker out but I am glad they did. Sure hope their union doesn’t fold
I can't believe I agree with BJ. The model CFD runs is extremely outdated.
Passing the pee pee test is a problem for zoomer cell phone creatures.
Ralph Cruz’s wife is a paramedic and a boss for paramedics, hence the LEMART. Not sure who came up with the program, him or his wife.
Captains and Lieutenants are not counted in the response truck for FDNY. So initial comment is true
Privatize ems
Been on the street for over 15 years. Can count the actual house fires I've seen on one hand.
MS13 tattoo on forehead
No but he is MS-13 from Cali
Yep
The ghetto rats call an amberlamps for every tummyache, headache, leg pain, etc. They abuse the system and create a shortage for actual emergencies. If ambulances only responded to real emergencies, we'd still be short, but it would cut down on calls by 80%. Every ghetto diabetic uses ambulances to control their diabetes instead of actually monitoring and treating their condition properly.
Go write a parker or blue card you goof.
Unfortunately politicians make decisions for which they are not qualified. It's been going on for 2000 years.
This looks like your stop, you can get of the mayors dick now!
That's because the haters also have "daddy time" on cfd. They live off their father's hatred and stories about medics. And keep breathing life unto it.
They don't like firefighters with brain's.
You will change your tune when you end up at 219 S Dearborn meeting the Loevy & Loevy law firm when they ask about your personal assets for your failure to provide aid to their client. That is after you get fired. Yes I know there is scamming but don't be the one holding the bag for a dead arrestee.
5/10/2025 10:44:53 AM
Wasn't about considering denying medical care, having a physicians assistant available at a few districts that could determine if a transport to a hospital is required might be a cheaper option all round ?
LEMART was only envisioned to assist severely injured officers, never for crime victims or offenders.
The problem is even if the city gave the department 20 more ambulances who's gonna man them?! No body wants to b paramedics like they did 15 yrs ago! The city may have to go the route that cps does for certain jobs… no residency for paramedics. One less employee of fire apparatus will increase injuries and further drain the pension fund. Chicago will be Detroit very soon!
In the 50’s The fire dept had 9 ambulances and only picked up people on the street.We now have over 60.In the 50’s If grandma had a stroke sleeping she had to wait for a paddy wagon.Those in the know said grandma was on the lawn and had a Finn to duke the fireman.There we’re fights to work the ambo.So if the police want they can have the ambo’s back?
CFD - victims of their own success - should have adopted the CPS model - "keep the kids really really dumb so the city still needs us"
Let the hospitals take over EMS and you will see big changes.
The only reason any city wants EMS is the revenue generated from insurance payments.
No one wants to be a paramedic as it cuts into their sleep time, after all how can a CFD firefighter manage that second whore job if not well rested.
Maybe NYC and LA have better funding control, or priorities, over their school systems so they can better fund their FDs.
Agree the word got out the cat is out of the bag the job is terrible even hardcore EMS junkies want to get out and go somewhere else to work the real answer is to screen these calls and screen them hard take the calculated risk based on what is said on the phone fight back and say No to these callers needing an ambulance for a hurt finger or a cat scratch. Start there an ambulance even a busy one shouldn’t be doing more than 10-15 runs a day.
every residence has two hoses.one in front and one in back.buy a couple fire extinguishers and you are good.
Send a cps teacher to an emergency. Most of them, retired too, are too drunk EVERY DAY AND NIGHT, living in suburbs like evergreen park and oak lawn and palms their time working. DRUNKS to this day and useless!
One day working, three off should give them time to sleep. The hero’s only get 2 off
What about Sgt’s contract also. Almost 3 years!!!! F@ck this city
1-this is not the cadilac fifties anymore,and paramedics that are firefighters are on the scene to rescue firefighter emt’s injured or trapped at a fire is a good thing.As far as increasing the number paramedics paying into the pension does not decrease the pension fund.This archaic thinking that still goes on is a reminder of the old saying.Chicago Fire Department.Over a hundred years of tradition unimpeded by progress.5 person companies are not justified anymore.They send extra companies on all stills to keep Fire numbers up to justify manning.Reduce personnel on fire apparatus and send equal amount of personnel to ambulances.Fire companies sent as first responders until a ambulance is available has always been a band aid to keep EMS down.More ambulances put in service will reduce the number of those “big”trucks from being overused.You have to be an EMT and firefighter today to be hired.Do firefighters want the extra cross trained pay without doing the work?It is a shame the moronic thinking is still alive on the CFD.Who do you want coming to your house of a family or friend when they are need of EMS?
Moronic thinking.
You must not work in 007,011, 015, 006, 005 and it shows lol
Got insurance on the house and property......
Pay me..
Call screening if done by risk or incorrectly opens the door to medical-legal predation.By law,it is the patient that determines what a emergency is.Not the dispatcher.Educate before yourself before you pontificate your bias.
Enter: Donald Sutherland from "Back draft" lol..... That will keep the engines rolling, or who is that one CFD guy back in the day who was convicted of intentionally starting fires .... for the boys to come put them out?
"fire, he he he, fire!" - Beavis
The "Maryland Dad" (Garcia) had MS 13 on his fingers but that didnt make him a gang member. I saw it on the news.
What do you call 1/2 of Chiraq burning down?
A good start.
Yes. They will get retro pay. The city will insist and Local 2 will agree to raises that are heavily back end loaded. This will somewhat reduce the retro.
The mayor is taking on manning issues. Not that he has a clue. But city accountants have known for decades that the key to reducing the CFD cost is to reduce JOBS.
Fire apparatus should have their manpower reduced.
The city should insist on 5 person trucks and 4 person engines.
Eliminate the random variance structure currently in place.
Local 2 will put up a fight, it’s a unions job to protect jobs.
In exchange for the manpower, Local 2 should lock up language requiring the city to put more money into apparatus replacement.
Lock up language making promotional testing closer to fair. (good luck)
AND, insist on greater department wide training. Disturbing rise in duty deaths under Commissioner Nance-Holt.
The CFD Commissioner has been laser focused on one thing and one thing ONLY. Diversification. Sad state of affairs over on 35th street.
Example.
In the name of diversity they squashed a sexual harassment charge (that somehow was investigated by the CPD) involving a civilian restaurant employee and a on duty fire academy boss. THAT guy has continued to be promoted over there on 35th street. Noodles.
Just like Bill Cosby used to say, “there’s always room for Jello!”
Firefighter Sparky says, “there’s always room for pinch & tickle!”
The man that was CFD Commissioner, 4 commissioners ago, was asked “How are we gonna get our kids on this job?”
THAT commissioner seeing the direction this city was headed replied, “Do we even want our kids on this job?”
THATS how bad the CFD has fallen.
With regards to draining the fund,less manpower equals more duty injuries and possible disability which drains the fund i hear?
Moron probably retired moron.
This is notyour daddys fire department anymore.Are you a self made man or a daddy indictrinated made man?
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