Excerpts from the NorthwestHerald.com:
As a part-time firefighter, Jonathan Fleck doesn’t qualify for health insurance through the Huntley Fire Protection District. But after seven years of service, he’s starting to see some support.
Alongside fire departments in Cary, Rutland-Dundee, and Sugar Grove, Huntley is set to share a $1.3 million grant from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The funding aims to help part-time firefighters stay with their departments for the next four years by offering financial incentives.
Under the program, firefighters like Fleck will receive a $75 monthly stipend—provided they complete six hours of training and work six shifts each month. This money can be used toward health care, child care, education, or retirement savings. It’s a small but meaningful step for those who often earn less and have fewer benefits than full-time colleagues.
Local fire officials are constantly looking for creative ways to retain and recruit part-timers. Some offer financial rewards, while others focus on preparing them for future full-time roles. Huntley Fire Chief Ken Caudle says his department has about 30 part-time members and 58 full-time firefighters. He’d like to increase the part-time numbers to 35, but it's challenging to find people willing to commit to regular training and a modest hourly wage of around $17 or $18.
This issue isn’t unique to Huntley. Many departments rely on the same pool of part-timers, and some even lose them to other agencies. As Cary Fire Chief Jeffrey Macko explained, “A lot of our guys end up becoming full-time elsewhere, but they still come in on their days off to protect their own community.â€
The Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant is helping departments like Huntley keep their part-time crews stable. According to the U.S. Fire Administration, only 8% of fire departments nationwide are entirely career-based, and none are in McHenry County. Most local departments depend heavily on part-time staff.
At the Richmond Fire Protection District, Chief Rick Gallas is the sole full-time firefighter at a station that operates 24/7. With limited tax revenue, hiring more full-time staff isn’t feasible. Instead, he focuses on training new recruits to eventually move into career positions. “Our goal is to get them trained and use them for five to seven years,†he said. “Then we’re going to lose them.â€
Gallas is currently recruiting five to 10 candidates within a 10-mile radius to join his mini-academy, which prepares them for the Firefighter Basic Certificate. The department shares the $2,400 training cost with each trainee, making it a more accessible path for those interested in firefighting.
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