Article highlights changing trend in fire service as responses for EMS continue to grow

Excerpts from MySuburbanLife.com:

Chief Tony Huemann of the McHenry Township Fire Protection District once dreamed of rushing into a burning building. While his years in the fire service have given him many chances to live out that vision, advancements in fire safety and an increasing need for medical care have made such moments far less common.

Over time, the role of firefighters has evolved. The job title no longer fully reflects the daily responsibilities, as more calls now involve emergency medical services than actual fires. Huemann emphasized that today’s firefighters must be trained as paramedics before they even apply, and often hold higher levels of education than in the past. Additionally, the need for regular training has increased, even though the skills are being used less frequently.

For the Algonquin-Lake in the Hills Fire Protection District, EMS responses have consistently outnumbered fire calls since at least 2001. In 2001, medical calls accounted for 53% of total responses, compared to 68% in 2012. At the same time, fire responses dropped from 47% to 32%.

In Crystal Lake, where fire and EMS services were combined in 1980, the number of EMS calls nearly doubled between 2000 and last year. In 2014, there were only 56 fire calls, down from 169 in 2003.

This trend is not unique to local departments. According to the National Fire Protection Association, fire calls nationwide fell by 58.5% from 1980 to 2013, while medical emergency calls rose by 323% during the same period.

“The decline in fire calls shows that we’re becoming much safer,” said Kenneth Willette, manager of the association’s public fire protection division. “Modern fire codes in commercial and industrial buildings, along with improved fire suppression systems, have helped make the country more resilient to fires.”

The aging population is also playing a key role in shaping the future of firefighting. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a 7% growth in firefighter employment from 2012 to 2022, driven largely by the increased demand for emergency medical services among older adults.

Woodstock Fire Chief Ralph Webster acknowledged that his department is considering how to adjust staffing to meet the changing demands. “We’re looking at shifting some resources toward handling more medical calls and reducing the focus on fire apparatus,” he said. “Our job has changed, and we need to adapt accordingly.”

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