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Excerpts from NorthwestHerald.com:
As a part-time firefighter, Jonathan Fleck doesn’t qualify for health insurance through the Huntley Fire Protection District. But after seven years of service, he’s finally getting some support.
Huntley is one of several fire departments in the area—along with Cary, Rutland-Dundee, and Sugar Grove—that will share a $1.3 million grant from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The goal is to retain part-time firefighters over the next four years by offering them financial incentives.
Part-timers like Fleck will receive a $75 monthly stipend if they complete six hours of training and work six shifts a month. The money can be used for health care, child care, education, or retirement savings. This is a small but meaningful step toward making part-time firefighting more attractive.
With lower pay and no benefits compared to full-time firefighters, many departments are struggling to keep their part-time crews. Local officials are finding creative ways to attract and retain talent. Some offer financial support, while others highlight how part-time roles can lead to full-time careers.
Huntley Fire Chief Ken Caudle says his department has about 30 part-timers and 58 full-time staff. He’d like to increase the part-time numbers, but it's tough to find people willing to go through the demanding training for just a few shifts a week, earning around $17 or $18 an hour.
This is a common issue across many departments. “A lot of our guys end up becoming full-time elsewhere, but they still come in on their days off to protect their own community,†said Cary Fire Chief Jeffrey Macko.
The grant, called the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) program, aims to help departments maintain and grow their part-time workforce. According to the U.S. Fire Administration, only 8% of fire departments nationwide are fully staffed by career firefighters—and none in McHenry County.
Most local departments rely heavily on part-time personnel. Only two departments in the county, Crystal Lake Fire Rescue and Huntley Fire Protection District, have mostly full-time staff. At the Richmond Fire Protection District, Chief Rick Gallas is the sole full-time firefighter at a 24-hour station.
Gallas explained that hiring more full-timers isn’t feasible due to budget constraints. Instead, he focuses on training part-timers who can later transition into full-time roles. “Our goal is to train them and use them for five to seven years before they move on,†he said.
He’s currently recruiting for five to 10 new candidates within a 10-mile radius. The department covers half the cost of the mini-academy, which helps them earn their Firefighter Basic Certificate. It's a strategy that keeps the department running efficiently, even with limited resources.
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