Oak Lawn unclear on pursuing Safer Grant

An article from the Oak Lawn Leaf highlights a growing concern over the village's fire department staffing crisis. A proposal to seek a SAFER Grant—designed to fully fund the salaries of two new firefighters for two to three years—faced pushback, even as Oak Lawn is on the verge of failing to meet its contractual obligations due to upcoming retirements.

Trustee Robert Streit urged the mayor and trustees to apply for the SAFER Grant without delay. The village currently has 76 firefighters, but by July 1st, that number will drop to 72. Since 2007, no new firefighters have been hired, and the department has seen a significant decline in staff—from a peak of 108 down to its current level due to attrition and 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 claim 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 an opinion in August 2010, was one of two judges who reviewed the minimum manning case. He also presided over an unfair labor charge related to the village’s decision to lay off firefighters. The current village board continues to push for changes to the minimum manning law, blaming the fire department for service cuts caused by excessive overtime.

The SAFER Grant aims to boost fire department staffing so they can better respond to emergencies. Streit brought up the idea by citing data, including Fire Chief George Sheets’ statement that this year marked the deadliest in Oak Lawn’s history for fire-related deaths.

Deetjen, the village administrator, said the village is preparing a grant application but emphasized the need for union cooperation. This implies that the union may have 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 by Fire Chief Sheets that the village won’t pursue the SAFER Grant unless the union gives in to Deetjen’s demands.

If the village fails to comply with its contract, it could face further legal action from the fire department, potentially leading to another unfair labor practice filing. The village has already spent over $1 million in legal costs from previous disputes with the firefighters.

Thanks, Dan

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