Municipalities investigate consolidation for fire & EMS
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The Chicago Tribune recently published an article discussing a potential collaboration among four suburban fire departments—Highwood, Highland Park, Lake Forest, and Lake Bluff—to explore the possibility of consolidating their fire and emergency medical services (EMS) in an effort to reduce costs.
According to the report, the four communities are expected to form a task force early in 2013 to examine ways to streamline operations and save money through joint efforts. This initiative aligns with a growing national trend of merging public safety services, which could result in annual savings between $1 million and $1.8 million for the area’s 60,000 residents.
Each department currently operates independently, though there is already some level of cooperation. For example, Lake Forest manages its own fire and EMS services, as well as police dispatch, and also contracts with Lake Bluff's long-standing volunteer fire department. It also provides ambulance services to the neighboring town. Highwood relies on Lake Forest for police dispatch and uses Regional Emergency Dispatch (RED) in Northbrook for fire and EMS. Meanwhile, Highland Park handles all of its own public safety calls, including nearly 2,000 fire and EMS incidents per year.
One proposed solution involves contracting with an existing centralized dispatch center, like RED, while another option is to bring fire, EMS, and police dispatch under one roof. Leonard Matarese, director of research at the ICMA Center for Public Safety Management, analyzed the needs of the four jurisdictions and highlighted that traditional staffing models—based on 24/7 coverage—are becoming less efficient due to fluctuating demand.
Matarese noted that in recent years, many agencies have shifted toward staffing based on call patterns, such as higher activity during the day and lower demand at night. This approach has been successfully implemented in other regions, including England, where staffing levels are adjusted according to time of day and days of the week.
The study outlines three possible consolidation models:
- **Functional consolidation**, where departments work together but remain separate entities.
- **Operational consolidation**, which unifies operations and administration while maintaining legal separation.
- **Full consolidation**, merging all four departments into a single entity with no jurisdictional boundaries.
The ICMA estimates that functional and operational consolidation could save the communities between $950,000 and $1.5 million annually, while full consolidation could lead to savings ranging from $1.4 million to $1.95 million.
Despite the financial benefits, challenges such as political concerns, labor contracts, and retirement systems may complicate the process. However, the four cities are already engaged in some level of collaboration, including joint purchasing and equipment standardization, which could help ease the transition.
For more details, you can read the full article here.