Many lawsuits were filed decades ago, but in August, two white men were allegedly seen jumping out of a fire truck and tearing down a Black Lives Matter flag at Ald. Ward 4 of Sophia King, according to Sun Times.

In response to King’s questions, Ford said a firefighter was disciplined over the incident and faces a “long-term suspension,” although he declined to disclose the exact number of days.

“Such behavior will not be tolerated. There is no place in the fire department that would accept that,” he said. “Violating members will be held accountable and responsible.”

Overtime spending
Overtime spending and the decision not to eliminate more vacancies from the department’s budget were also questioned Wednesday.

In 2018, the Department spent $31 million on overtime wages but spent more than $65 million on actual overtime expenditures. In 2019, the film spent more than 76 million USD even though the budget was only 31 million USD. As of October, overtime spending in 2020 was $66.1 million.

The department gave up just 34 vacancies to contribute to the more than 1,900 vacancies that Lightfoot’s budget eliminated to save money and close a $1.2 billion budget deficit.

However, with the expected wave of retirements, the department could have hundreds of vacancies through 2021, Ford said. That doesn’t sit well with Ald. Jason Ervin (28th).

“I’m not suggesting that we balance the city budget based on the fire department, but at the same time… we have to have an honest conversation about it. This is not aimed at anyone, but we need to be fiscally responsible during this time we are facing,” he said.

425 firefighters have tested positive for the Corona virus
The effects of the coronavirus pandemic appeared clearly in the department’s hearings on Wednesday.

The Fire Department, which was forced to temporarily close the academy because of the outbreak, had 425 positive cases as of Wednesday, with two people dead and three other members currently hospitalized.

At the peak of the first outbreak, 22% of the city’s total 911 call centers were “impacted by COVID,” said Rich Guidice, executive director of the Office of Emergency Management and Communications.

Both the Fire Department and OEMC say they are receiving more calls this time this year than last year, which they attribute to the pandemic.

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