The Daily Herald recently published an article discussing staffing challenges faced by the Mount Prospect Fire Department: Back in 2006, the Mount Prospect Fire Department added an engine to its downtown fire station. However, the economic downturn hit hard, and in 2011, the village made a tough decision to cut staff by 10%, resulting in the loss of six firefighters across all departments. Fire Chief John Malcolm attempted to manage the situation by implementing a "jump" company model, where firefighters would rotate between Engine 13 and Tower 13, the station’s ladder truck. This approach was abandoned after a major incident in 2011 when a late-night emergency at the Colonial Greens complex required firefighters to return to the station to retrieve the unstaffed ladder truck. After that, Malcolm decided to retire Engine 13 and rely solely on Tower 13 for all calls, including ambulance responses and car fires. Now, as the village board is finalizing its 2015 budget, discussions have resumed about restoring those six lost positions. The head of the firefighters’ union recently addressed the board, urging them to reinstate the positions and bring Engine 13 back into service. During the meeting, Trustee Paul Hoefert asked Deputy Fire Chief Henry Dawson if the department's current staffing levels still meet safety standards. Dawson confirmed that response times are within acceptable limits, averaging around 4 minutes and 17 seconds. Hoefert emphasized, “Right now, with how we’re manned, we’re safe. Our residents are safe.†In his budget presentation, Dawson requested $13.1 million for the department, a 1.56% increase from the previous year. He also highlighted the increased workload on Tower 13, which has tripled its call volume since Engine 13 was retired. In 2014 alone, Tower 13 responded to 1,947 calls, ranking it 63rd among the busiest tower ladders in the country out of 202 departments surveyed. Dawson noted an interesting statistic: nearly half the time, the department receives another call almost immediately after responding to one. “This only reinforces the need to keep the tower on the road,†he said. Board members expressed openness to further discussion on the matter. Chief Malcolm pointed out that Mount Prospect has the lowest staffing levels among nearby departments of similar size. “We’re definitely more efficient having that engine downtown,†he said. “Every day, because we only have two engines in town, when one goes out for mutual aid, that leaves me with just one engine left in the area.†Thanks Dan Pvc Sheet Die Head,Die Head, Pp Sheet Die Head,Pe Sheet Die Head Zhoushan Taisu Overseas Co Ltd. , https://www.taisuoverseas.com