The Chicago Tribune recently published an article discussing a potential collaboration among the fire and EMS departments of Highwood, Highland Park, Lake Forest, and Lake Bluff. The four communities are considering forming a task force in early 2013 to explore cost-saving opportunities through joint efforts, including the merging of their fire protection and emergency medical services for their combined population of around 60,000 residents.
This move aligns with a growing national trend toward consolidation, which could result in annual savings of between $1 million and $1.8 million, according to a study by the International City/County Management Association (ICMA). Each of the four towns currently operates its own systems, though they already share some responsibilities. For example, Lake Forest handles its own fire and EMS dispatch as well as police, while also contracting with Lake Bluff’s volunteer fire department and providing ambulance services there.
Highwood relies on Lake Forest for police dispatch and uses the Regional Emergency Dispatch (RED) in Northbrook for fire and EMS. Highland Park, which handles nearly 2,000 fire and EMS calls each year, manages all of its public safety dispatch internally. As part of the discussion, officials have considered options such as contracting with a centralized dispatch center like RED or integrating fire, EMS, and police services under one roof.
Leonard Matarese, director of research and project development at the ICMA Center for Public Safety Management, examined the needs of the four jurisdictions. He noted that the traditional model of having 24/7 staffing for both fire and EMS has been challenged in recent years due to fluctuating service demands. In England, for instance, fire prevention officials adjusted staffing based on time of day and days of the week, as call volumes tend to peak during the day and drop off in the evening.
The ICMA outlined three possible strategies for consolidating services:
1. **Functional consolidation** – cooperation across jurisdictions for shared services, while keeping the departments separate.
2. **Operational consolidation** – maintaining legal separation but combining operations and administration into one agency.
3. **Full consolidation** – merging all four departments into a single entity, making jurisdictional boundaries irrelevant.
According to the study, functional and operational consolidation could save the communities between $950,000 and $1.5 million annually, while full consolidation could lead to savings of up to $1.95 million per year.
Matarese acknowledged that political considerations, financial constraints, labor contracts, and retirement systems often pose challenges. However, he pointed out that the four cities are already working together in various ways, including joint purchasing and equipment standardization, which makes further integration more feasible.
The entire article can be viewed HERE.
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