Municipalities investigate consolidation for fire & EMS
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The Chicago Tribune recently published an article discussing a potential collaboration among fire and emergency medical services (EMS) in four North Shore communities: Highwood, Highland Park, Lake Forest, and Lake Bluff. The initiative aims to explore ways to reduce costs through greater coordination, including the possible merging of fire and EMS operations for their combined 60,000 residents.
According to a study by the International City/County Management Association (ICMA), following this national trend could result in annual savings ranging from $1 million to $1.8 million for the four municipalities. Each community currently manages its own fire and EMS services, with varying levels of integration and outsourcing. For example, Lake Forest handles its own fire and EMS dispatch as well as police, while also managing Lake Bluff’s volunteer fire department and providing ambulance services. Highwood relies on Lake Forest for police dispatch and uses Regional Emergency Dispatch (RED) in Northbrook for fire and EMS. Highland Park, which receives nearly 2,000 fire and EMS calls annually, manages all its public safety dispatch internally.
One potential approach is to contract with a centralized dispatch center like RED, while another option involves integrating fire, EMS, and police dispatch under one roof. Leonard Matarese, director of research and project development at the ICMA Center for Public Safety Management, analyzed the needs of the four jurisdictions and noted that the traditional model of 24/7 staffing is being reevaluated due to fluctuating service demands. He explained that fire and EMS calls typically peak during the day and decrease significantly after 9 or 10 p.m., suggesting that staffing can be adjusted accordingly.
The ICMA outlined three possible consolidation models:
1. **Functional Consolidation** – Jurisdictions continue to operate separately but collaborate on shared services.
2. **Operational Consolidation** – Departments remain legally separate but work together as a unified agency.
3. **Full Consolidation** – All four fire departments merge into one entity, eliminating jurisdictional boundaries.
The study estimates that functional and operational consolidation could save between $950,000 and $1.5 million annually, while full consolidation could lead to savings between $1.4 million and $1.95 million. However, challenges such as political considerations, financial constraints, labor contracts, and retirement systems may complicate the process. Despite these hurdles, the four cities already share resources, engage in joint purchasing, and standardize equipment, laying a strong foundation for further cooperation.
For more details, you can read the full article here.