Salaries and benefits for six new Oak Park firefighters and paramedics are among the unfunded requests in the still-to-be-approved Oak Park village budget for 2026.
After months of work by village staff and the village’s finance committee, Oak Park’s entire village board is set to review 2026’s operating budget on Tuesday, Nov. 18. Within the budget document submitted to the board, there are descriptions of several short-term and long-term “unfunded requests.”
That includes an unfunded budget request for salaries and other compensation for several new Oak Park firefighters and paramedics.
“Short-term unfunded requests for fiscal year 2026 include six Firefighter/Paramedics at $684,570, based upon $114,095 for entry level salary and fringe benefits,” village staff wrote in the document.
The budget document also describes plans for a new command position within the fire department, a training lieutenant to be paid a salary of over $178,000. The village also recently approved the purchase of a new tower fire engine for $2.284 million, according to village documents.
The staffing request follows board discussion from earlier in the fall concerning a staffing crunch at OPFD, as two sperate studies of the fire department reported that low staffing levels are putting heavy strain on firefighters and command staff.
Oak Park’s village government commissioned consultant Baker Tilly to study its fire department, with the group publishing its report in September shortly after the labor union for Oak Park’s firefighters released a study it had commissioned on its own.
Baker Tilly’s survey found that well over 90% of Oak Park firefighters feel that the department’s staffing levels leave them overworked and impact their safety on the job.
“The survey highlights the dedication and professionalism of staff who are well-trained and have access to professional development opportunities,” the report said. “However, the survey results suggest the department is facing significant challenges related to leadership, staffing, adequate apparatus, and resource allocation. Respondents expressed a need for more proactive leadership from the department administration and consistently conveyed concerns about being understaffed and overworked, given the high call volume and the amount of overtime they were working. The survey suggests that these concerns are taking a toll on morale.”
Nearly 70% of survey respondents also said that the department’s staffing levels sometimes delay fire department response times, according to the report.
The union’s study recommended that Oak Park hire 9 new firefighters to deal with the crunch. That added staffing, the union’s report said, would bring Oak Park closer to 4 firefighters per fire apparatus, up from a current level of only 3 firefighters.
“This will help ensure that when you or your family call 911, the right number of trained firefighters arrive quickly and ready to protect lives and property,” the study concluded.
According to both reports, OPFD responded to more calls for service in 2024 than it had in any year since at least 2019.
The village board reviewed both studies at a meeting on Oct. 14
