Kane County Reporter

The Elgin Fire Department is set to increase its emergency response resources by adding nine firefighter/paramedic positions and reinstating a sixth ambulance. This expansion is being supported by a $3 million grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) program.

The SAFER grant, totaling $3,028,501, will help cover most of the nearly $4.9 million required over three years to staff the additional ambulance. The funding aims to help local fire departments maintain or rebuild staffing levels in response to community needs.

Fire Chief Robert Cagann noted that call volume has risen for nine consecutive years, now exceeding 16,000 annually. Of these calls, about 12,000 are related to emergency medical services. The increased demand has resulted in greater reliance on mutual aid from neighboring departments.

“It’s brought our reliance on mutual aid to the forefront,” Cagann said. “Every indication is that we should definitely see a reduction in the need for mutual aid.”