Ill. fire chiefs sound alarm on equipment funding

By Joseph Ruzich
The Chicago Tribune

LEMONT, Ill. — In September 2006, Lemont firefighter Jeff Hawthorne responded to a call from a resident who smelled gas in her apartment. A thermal imaging camera detected gas seeping out of a broken pipe.

"It was a dangerous situation," Hawthorne said, especially since there were children ages 2 and 8 in the residence.

Lifesaving equipment such as the $10,000 thermal imaging camera is essential for emergency rescues, he said, but the prospect of being able to keep buying such devices has officials worried. The feeble economy combined with a lack of tax revenue would be obstacle enough, but a federal grant that helps fire departments buy equipment may be cut by 70 percent in 2010.

"I've been a fire chief for 19 years and I've gotten good doing more with less," said Lemont Fire Chief Carl Churulo. "But I have to ask when is that going to end."

Other area fire departments have sounded the alarm as well, but for different reasons. Joliet says it can do without newer equipment for now, but can't afford layoffs. Tinley Park is OK with equipment and staffing levels, but because of the rising cost of equipment, officials say they likely won't be able to rely mainly on fundraisers to pay for it. And Orland Park would like to use grant money for training.

The discussion about funding fire departments was raised recently by U.S. Rep. Judy Biggert (R-Ill.), who said she wrote to the House Appropriations Committee asking that the firefighters' grants not be cut.

"Many fire departments have come to rely on federal grants," said Biggert, whose mother died in a house fire. "A decrease in grant funds will limit their access to training and [their ability] to purchase more equipment."

President Barack Obama signed an additional $210 million in firefighter assistance grants in February as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, according to the Congressional Research Service, a non-partisan research organization. But he proposed cuts to the grants fire departments use to buy equipment and for training to $170 million -- a 70 percent decrease from 2009.

Obama is doubling another grant used to hire fire personnel to $420 million.

Fire departments around the country are facing a variety of challenges, from budget cuts to staffing issues, according to a survey of 17,500 firefighters conducted from Feb. 13 through March 31, said Ron Mori, of the Fireman's Fund Insurance Co., which was behind the survey. "And the current economic crisis is making it worse," he said.

Mori said the top three challenges are a lack of a budget, old and outdated equipment, and staffing and retaining firefighters. "Two-thirds of fire departments in Illinois said they have delayed purchasing or replacing new equipment," he said. "Many departments have no other choice but to look for other sources of income."

With the possibility of layoffs looming, Joliet Fire Chief Joe Formhals said he would rather see money to keep firefighters working rather than to buy equipment. City officials have said as many as 16 firefighters could be laid off if the city cannot freeze wages or raise taxes.

That would mean taking two city ambulances out of service, which likely would lead to increased response time for ambulance calls, Formhals said, adding that his priority is to keep the employees working.

"If we were able to have some federal money to help with the personnel costs to get us through this bump in the road, that would really help us out," he said.

Although recent budget cuts will preclude the deparatment from replacing a 20-year-old fire engine this year, he said current equipment can be used another year or two.

Tinley Park Fire Department Chief Ken Dunn said layoffs are unlikely and he believes he's in good shape with equipment.

"We don't plan on purchasing any equipment any time soon. We want to be sure we're putting the money away for equipment [in the future]," he said. The ladder truck will need to be replaced in two or three years.

But he said an annual fundraising drive that helps buy the department's trucks -- with the village kicking in half the cost -- will unlikely continue to be the main funding source because of the rising cost of the trucks. Dunn said that when he started his career, a new engine cost around $40,000, but now the price is closer to $450,000.

"Ridiculous," he said.

Churulo, of the Lemont Fire Department, said buying more equipment is essential. It costs more than $2,000 to outfit a firefighter, and he said "these outfits last about five to eight years. That's a lot of money for 60 firefighters."

Churulo added that he would like to buy more fire vehicles, but can't afford to. At the top of his wish list is a hydraulic rescue tool named the "jaws of life," which costs $20,000 to $40,000. The tool cuts metal and is often used to extract people from crashed vehicles. The department's current machine is outdated.

As the Plainfield Fire Protection District continues to grow, Chief John Eichelberger said he has relied on grants to help add equipment and firefighters to its four stations.

The district previously applied for federal grant money to replace a 25-year-old tanker truck, but was denied. If the district denied again, Eichelberger said, the board will have to determine whether to buy it and, if so, how to pay for it.

Orland Park Fire Chief Bryant Krizik said the Fire Protection District is hoping to get grant money for additional firefighter training next year. The "incident command training" uses computer technology to help teach the district's seven battalion chiefs and 33 company officers how to make better emergency-scene decisions, he said.

"We're doing good on equipment, but we want to get that training," he said. "We want to make ourselves better."

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