Denis McGuire, Jr. came across an article in the *Chicago News Cooperative* that raised questions about the city’s decision to keep fire department staffing levels at five firefighters per truck. The piece referenced surveys from other major U.S. cities, where staffing has been reduced to four per crew. It pointed out that while Chicago has seen a significant drop in fire-related deaths, the overall number of fires has also declined. Here are some key excerpts from the article:
In 1976, when Robert Hoff first joined the Chicago Fire Department, 156 people died in fires throughout the city. By 2010, when Hoff became the department’s commissioner, that number had dropped to just 27. At the same time, the total number of fires the department responded to has also fallen sharply over the past few decades. However, staffing levels have remained largely unchanged, even as mayors in cities like New York and Los Angeles look to cut fire protection budgets amid economic challenges.
According to a survey by the Chicago News Cooperative of the country’s 10 largest cities, Chicago ranks among the top in terms of resources allocated to its fire department. With one firefighter for every 637 residents, the city has more personnel per capita than all other large U.S. cities except Houston. Additionally, with a coverage area of around 230 square miles and over 90 fire stations, Chicago’s firehouse density places it third among the 10 largest cities, behind only New York and Philadelphia. *(See the full rankings here.)*
Larry Langford, a spokesperson for the Chicago Fire Department, emphasized that the reduction in fire deaths and incidents shouldn’t be used as a reason to reduce staffing or the number of firehouses. “The lower death rate is partly due to having enough manpower to conduct searches while simultaneously fighting fires and preventing them from spreading,†he said in a recent statement.
This decline in fire fatalities aligns with a national trend, which experts attribute to factors such as sprinkler systems, smoke detectors, and improved fire alarms. City data shows that the number of structure fires fell from nearly 5,700 in 1996 to under 2,500 in 2008. However, during this period, the number of medical emergencies handled by the fire department increased significantly, according to Langford.
He explained that Chicago’s unique urban layout—featuring many high-rise apartment buildings, multi-story schools, and nursing homes—requires larger crews. Even in residential neighborhoods like the bungalow belt, homes are often closely packed, making it necessary to have more firefighters than the minimum standard. Studies cited by the department suggest that four-person crews are only 65% as efficient as five-person teams. “That means minutes saved can mean lives and property protected,†Langford said.
For more details, you can read the full article and supporting data **here**.
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