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Audit of Chicago Fire Department Fire and Medical Incident Response Times

October 18, 2013

Summary

The City of Chicago Office of Inspector General has completed an audit of the Chicago Fire Department’s fire and medical incident response times for calendar year 2012.

Executive Summary

Fire and medical emergency response is the core service provided by CFD, which is the second largest fire department in the nation. CFD firefighters and paramedics are first responders to Chicagoans’ calls for help in emergencies. Their prompt response is critical to the protection of public health and safety through emergency medical response and fire suppression services, which save lives and protect people and property from greater harm.

The OIG audit determined that CFD was not meeting the response times for National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Standard 1710 that it had historically claimed to meet or exceed. It also found that CFD’s internal reports lacked the elements necessary to accurately assess
whether the Department was in fact meeting or exceeding the national standards it claimed to be meeting.

Audit of Chicago Fire Department Fire and Medical Incident Response Times - publication cover