In an effort to reduce costs, Chicago Inspector General Joseph Ferguson suggested at a city budget hearing that lowering fire-department staffing on fire-suppression apparatus from five to four would save taxpayers about $57 million a year. However, the city’s current collective-bargaining agreement with the firefighters’ union requires staffing levels of at least five firefighters on most apparatus, such as fire engines, fire trucks, squad companies and hazmat units.

The collective-bargaining agreement lets officials have up to 35 variances from the manning requirement per day, increased from 30 in the previous contract, according to the inspector general’s report. Under the option, officials would reduce the minimum number of required fire personnel on fire-suppression apparatus to four, which would mean a large reduction in the number of personnel needed to staff fire apparatus.

The move would affect the capabilities of the Chicago Fire Department, considered a world-class department in part because of its staffing levels, Local 2 Union President Tom Ryan said. “We have the proper staffing per apparatus to do our job effectively,” he said. “We live in a highly complex, high-density city with a lot of hazards. Any reduction in staffing could lead to … consequences. It’s just not a good idea to roll the dice with public safety.”

In fact, staffing was the main catalyst for the firefighter strike in February 1980, when firefighters left the stations with their helmets, boots and bunker coats and formed the first-ever picket lines in front of Chicago firehouses. The union claimed an 87% walkout; the city countered with figures closer to 50%. Ryan said at the time, fire-related deaths were high and the strike helped the union negotiate staffing levels, among other issues.

“We went to the minimum staffing level currently in place right now, and fire deaths have dropped dramatically because we have enough people on staff to deal with emergencies as they happen,” he said.

Fire Commissioner Robert Hoff agreed during a recent hearing on Mayor Rahm Emanuel's proposed budget, stating fire-related fatalities would rise if the city reduces the number of firefighters per truck and that he is "adamant" in his opposition to lowering the minimum staffing.

"No. 1, it affects our performance," Hoff said. “And No. 2, it [affects] the lives of firefighters and paramedics and the people that we serve. Our fire deaths will go up. Any decrease in manning, any decrease in fire companies, ambulances or closing of firehouses, I'm literally deathly against.”

Ryan emphasized that the department must have enough personnel to address a potential catastrophe, in addition to addressing day-to-day emergency calls. In fact, he said the city is getting more “bang for their buck” already compared to 30 years ago, because Chicago firefighters not only fight fires but also perform as hazmat technicians, EMTs, in-service inspectors, fire-prevention officers and disaster-response teams.

“We need to have enough people trained, ready to go with the proper equipment … to deal with any emergency,” Ryan said. “While we understand the economic climate, we also believe strongly that public safety shouldn’t be compromised.”

The inspector general stated in his report that NFPA 1710 recommends a minimum of four personnel on each fire apparatus. Thus, if the city were to reduce staffing on its engine and truck companies to four, it would be meeting the recommended guidelines.

“If you read into 1710, the paragraph he quoted was for what we call ‘low-density’ communities with no exposure and no basements,” he said. “In that next paragraph, it mentions high-target areas, which is virtually the entire city of Chicago, and that minimum staffing should be five or even six.”

Emanuel has not commented on the minimum truck staffing issue but has called on unions to make work-rule changes in their contracts to save money. The issue could become a hot-button issue in his upcoming negotiations with the firefighters union when the contract expires June 2012. However, manning and staffing levels are covered under contract until 2014, Ryan said.

Number of apparatus, by type, and the minimum staffing levels required.

Apparatus	Number of Apparatus	Minimum Staffing
Fire Engine	96	5
Fire Truck	61	5
Squad Companies	4	2
Hazmat	2	5

Source: CFD Data, Collective-Bargaining Agreement

Number of employee-hours required to maintain staffing minimums of four and five on the apparatus listed above.

Apparatus	Number	Total Annual Employee Hours (Minimum Staffing of 5)	Total Annual Employee Hours (Minimum Staffing of 4)
Fire Engine	96	4,204,800	3,363,840
Fire Truck	61	2,671,800	2,137,440
Squad Companies	4	175,200	140,160
Hazmat	2	87,600	70,080
Reduction in Hours Due to Variances		(306,600)
Total		6,832,800	5,711,520

Note: To calculate the number of annual employee-hours, multiply (number of apparatuses) by (minimum staffing requirement) by (number of days in year) by (number of hours in day).
For example, for the 96 fire engines with a minimum staff of five the calculation is: (96) X (5) X (365) X (24)=4,161,000
This chart assumes that the 35 daily variances are currently being fully used by the city and that no variances would be granted if manning requirement were reduced to four.

Source: CFD Data, Collective-Bargaining Agreement