Excerpts from MySuburbanLife.com:

Chief Tony Huemann of the McHenry Township Fire Protection District once dreamed of rushing into a burning building. While his years of service have given him many chances to live out that vision, modern fire safety measures and an increasing demand for medical care have made such situations far less common.
The role of a firefighter has evolved over time, with more emphasis on emergency medical services than on actual firefighting. Today, aspiring firefighters are often required to be certified paramedics before applying, and they typically have higher levels of education than in the past. Additionally, frequent training is necessary to keep skills sharp—even when those skills are used less often.

In the Algonquin-Lake in the Hills Fire Protection District, EMS calls have consistently outnumbered fire responses since at least 2001. In that year, medical calls accounted for 53% of total responses, rising to 68% by 2012. During the same period, fire responses dropped from 47% to 32%.

Crystal Lake’s fire and rescue department, which merged fire and EMS services in 1980, saw a significant increase in EMS calls last year compared to 2000. In 2014, there were only 56 fire calls, down from 169 in 2003. These local trends reflect national patterns: according to the National Fire Protection Association, fire calls dropped by 58.5% between 1980 and 2013, while medical aid calls rose by 323% during the same period.

"We're becoming much safer when it comes to fires," said Kenneth Willette, manager of the NFPA's public fire protection division. "Modern building codes, better fire suppression systems, and increased awareness have all contributed to this trend."

The aging population is also playing a key role in shaping the future of firefighting. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts a 7% growth in firefighter employment from 2012 to 2022, as older individuals tend to rely more heavily on emergency medical services.

Woodstock Fire Chief Ralph Webster acknowledged that departments are beginning to rethink how they allocate resources. “We’re looking at shifting some personnel toward handling more medical calls and reducing the focus on fire equipment,” he said. “Our job has changed, and we need to adapt accordingly.”

As the nature of emergency response continues to evolve, firefighters are no longer just fighting fires—they’re becoming first responders in a broader sense, ready to provide life-saving care in a wide range of situations.

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