April 28, 2023 Chicago firefighters, who responded 41,539 times to help residents last year, hope a new program works.
Source Firehouse.com News
Daily, people see Chicago fire engines racing through the streets responding to emergencies — blazes, motor vehicle crashes, industrial mishaps, medical issues.
But, another call is dominating firefighters’ day — assisting or lifting people, WGN reported.
They’re getting calls to help citizens in and out of their homes as well as into vehicles. Last year, crews responded to 41,539 calls to help, up 69 percent since 2019.
Records also show there were 1,094 structure fires last year.
Investigative reporters found people at 14 locations called for lift assistance more than 200 last times year. Of those, six called more than 300 times.
While firefighters take seriously their slogan: “We’re there when you need us,” there’s a new pilot program now that will involve folks at other city agencies answering the ‘lift assistance’ calls.
“We’re like problem solvers for everything, If you have a problem and don’t have a solution – call the fire department,” Chicago Firefighters Union Local 2 spokesman Patrick Quane told a reporter.