A Facebook post by the Elgin Association of Firefighters Local 439 suggests drastic service reductions have been approved for Fire Station 6, which is not true.
- The only reason service changes to Station 6 are being discussed is because the fire union has refused to defer raises in 2021, like all other City departments.
- The City is not closing station 6 or permanently retiring a piece of equipment.
- No decisions have been made to change the current service model, but discussions have taken place to replace the engine at Station 6 with an ambulance.
- Station 6 does not currently have an ambulance in regular service, and instead uses a fire engine to respond to ambulance calls.
- Ambulance calls comprise the overwhelming majority of Engine 6's activity in a given year.
- Station 6, the City's most centrally located station, is supported with fire fighting apparatus coverage from the surrounding six other stations in Elgin.
The City's complete statement in response can be found here.
In addition, clarification to several Facebook comments can be found here.