An article on Reporteronline highlights the ongoing tensions between the Chicago Ridge Fire Department and village officials, focusing on a number of pressing issues, including what the firefighters' union calls a "staffing crisis." The union's president, Chris Schmelzer, expressed deep concerns in an email to Trustee Bruce Quintos, which was obtained by the Reporter. He emphasized that the current situation is far from ideal.
"We are dealing with more problems than I can count," Schmelzer wrote. One of the most alarming issues is the plan to staff a second fire station with only existing personnel. "Having just two people at a station is unsafe, reduces service for the entire town, and doesn’t make sense at all," he said.
During an interview, Schmelzer criticized the lack of communication between the fire chief, George Sheets, and the firefighters. "There’s no real communication. We’re just coexisting, and we're doing things under the threat of discipline," he said. He described the atmosphere as more like a "dictatorship" now, rather than a team effort.
Mayor Chuck Tokar confirmed that plans to reopen the Lombard Avenue fire station by Christmas have been pushed back to the end of January. While he believes the delay is necessary, he explained that the station will be open 12 hours a day during peak call times. The decision was made because the Lombard location is closer to the residential area, and using it for ambulance services would reduce reliance on neighboring communities—services that residents currently pay for.
However, union leaders argue that the new plan has serious drawbacks. Schmelzer pointed out that under the new system, every ambulance call removes all available firefighters from the area. "With two ambulances responding to each call, there’s zero fire response capacity in the village. No one is left to handle the next emergency," he wrote. He also mentioned that two firefighters retired in 2014 and were never replaced, adding to the department’s strain.
"We operate with a minimum of four people per shift, as anything less would be unsafe according to standards and common sense," Schmelzer said. Currently, two of the three shifts are staffed with exactly four people, leading to frequent overtime whenever someone is off. With most members having over 10 years of seniority, many are often scheduled off, resulting in constant overtime costs.
Tokar defended the decisions, stating that he represents the taxpayers and that the fire department must work with the union. Meanwhile, the union has also raised concerns about the recent purchase of a $685,000 quint—a fire apparatus that includes a pump, water tank, aerial device, and ladders. This purchase forced the department to sell an aerial truck and two pumper trucks, one of which is badly rusted and needs major repairs. The proceeds from the sales will help offset the cost, along with a potential state loan.
Schmelzer called the spending questionable, noting that the new response plan would only allow two people to staff the quint. "Spending nearly $700,000 on a vehicle that will only be operated by two people seems like a poor use of resources," he said.
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