CITY COUNCIL AGENDA ITEM
ACTION REQUESTED:
title
Authorize the City Manager to increase the 2023 personnel headcount and hire an additional six full-time Firefighters/Paramedics (Item 1 of 2)
body
DEPARTMENT: Fire Department
SUBMITTED BY: Mark Puknaitis, Fire Chief
BOARD/COMMISSION REVIEW:
N/A
BACKGROUND:
The Challenge
The Naperville Fire Department (NFD) is experiencing an increase in calls for service in the areas of mental health and quality of life issues for senior citizens and residents with chronic illnesses/injuries.
Between 2020 and 2022, the number of EMS calls increased by 2,227.
Year
# of Calls
# of EMS Calls
2020
14,170
9,868
2021
15,942
11,370
2022
16,859
12,095
Over that same time frame, EMS calls categorized as mental health and/or quality of life concerns increased by 299.
Year
# of EMS Calls
Calls Categorized as Mental Health/Quality of Life
2020
9,868
3,006
2021
11,370
3,134
2022
12,095
3,305
Most of these types of calls do not require transport to a comprehensive hospital facility but do require a greater investment of time than a typical EMS call.
The chart below shows a rising trend of the length of time medic units are actively on a call for service (referred to as unit utilization).
Year
Unit Utilization
2020
13.1%
2021
16%
2022
17.7%
Increasing unit utilization rates impact the availability of ambulances and have resulted in increased response times to calls as shown in the chart below.
Year
% Target 6 min Response Time Achieved
2019
87%
2020
86.5%
2021
86%
2022
85%
The Law
On August 25, 2021, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker signed the Community Emergency Services and Supports Act (CESSA) into law. This legislation recognizes that these types of calls need a response different from a traditional EMS emergency. CESSA requires emergency Public Safety Access Points (PSAPs) to dispatch the most appropriate responders - behavioral health mobile crisis teams, emergency medical technicians, and/or law enforcement - given the...
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