Oak Lawn unclear on pursuing Safer Grant

An article from the Oak Lawn Leaf

A proposal to explore the possibility of securing a SAFER Grant to fully fund the salaries of two new firefighters for two to three years has sparked debate, even as the Village of Oak Lawn faces a growing shortage of personnel. With several firefighters set to retire in the near future, the village is at risk of not meeting its contractual obligations with the fire department.

Trustee Robert Streit urged the mayor and trustees to consider applying for the SAFER Grant right away. The village currently has 76 firefighters on staff, but that number is expected to drop to 72 by July 1st. Notably, no new firefighters have been hired since 2007, and staffing levels have steadily declined from a peak of 108 due to attrition and a lack of replacements.

The village has been locked in a legal dispute with the Oak Lawn Professional Firefighters Association Local 3405 over minimum manning requirements. The union filed an unfair labor practice charge after the village refused to negotiate on the issue, and the Illinois Labor Relations Board ruled against the village. That decision was later upheld by the Illinois Appellate Court in 2011.

Administrative law judge Phillip Kazanjian, who issued a ruling in August 2010, was one of two judges who reviewed the minimum manning case. He also heard testimony regarding the village’s decision to lay off firefighters. The current board majority continues to push for changes to the minimum manning law, blaming the fire department for service cuts caused by excessive overtime costs.

The SAFER Grant (Staffing for Adequate Fire & Emergency Response) aims to strengthen fire department staffing so they can better respond to emergencies. Streit brought up the idea of applying for the grant, citing statistics such as Fire Chief George Sheets’ statement that this year was the deadliest in Oak Lawn’s history for fire-related deaths.

Deetjen, the village manager, said the village is working on an application but emphasized that it would require support from the union. This implies that the union might need to make concessions for the village to proceed. According to internal sources, Deetjen remains resistant to hiring more firefighters unless the union agrees to lower the minimum manning requirement. Firefighters were recently informed that the village will not pursue the SAFER Grant unless the union gives in to Deetjen's demands.

If the village fails to meet its contractual obligations, it could face further legal action from the firefighters' union, potentially leading to another unfair labor practice claim. The village has already spent over $1 million in legal fees in its ongoing battles with the fire department.

Thanks, Dan

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