Normal, IL fire and EMS challenges highlight need for statewide task
force
[November 12, 2025]
By Catrina Barker | The Center Square contributor
(The Center Square) – A planned relocation of Normal’s Fire Station 2
sparks statewide concern over slow emergency response times, as a new
bill at the statehouse would create a task force to investigate staffing
and funding problems in Illinois’ EMS system.
Local 2442 Union President Chad Pacey said the relocation plan dates
back to a 2008 study that called for a fourth station within 10 years.
Instead, Normal has kept the 2012 plan, moving stations without adding
resources, even as calls and population have grown sharply.
“We’re up to over 8,000 calls a year, and that number keeps rising,”
Pacey said. “Meanwhile, we’re about to close a station that sits in one
of the busiest and most vulnerable parts of town. The plan we’re using
is simply outdated.”
According to the union’s website, Normal is facing a critical shortage
of firefighters and apparatus necessary to respond effectively to
emergencies.
“These shortages are not just numbers, they represent slower response
times, increased risk to the public, and growing dangers to the
firefighters who respond every day,” the website states.
The union-commissioned study found relocating Station 2 would cut
Normal’s emergency coverage by nearly 10%.
“With national fire protection standards, we aim to be on scene within
four minutes for 90% of emergencies,” Pacey said. “That’s our goal as
the boots on the ground, to provide the best, most professional service
for the residents, taxpayers and visitors of Normal.”
House Bill 3233 would create an Emergency Medical Service Response Task
Force to study slow response times, funding shortages and training and
retention challenges.
State Rep. Bradley Fritts, R-Dixon, said the problem reflects a broader
statewide issue.
“I think we need to look at what areas we can fill in the gaps,” Fritts
said. “The goal of this task force is to identify the problems so we’re
all on the same page. Then we can figure out solutions, whether that’s
state funding, or programs through universities and community colleges
to streamline EMT licensing and get more people into the fire service.”
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Fritts said EMT staff shortages is a nationwide problem.
“Staffing shortages aren’t just a statewide problem, they’re a
nationwide issue,” said Pacey. “The Association of Firefighters of
Illinois has been working to address the challenges of attracting
people to this career. This isn’t just Normal or Illinois, it’s a
national crisis."
Fritts said his initiative aims to provide a full picture of
statewide EMS needs.
“People pay significant state and local taxes, and they deserve
timely, professional care – no matter where they live,” Fritts said.
“This task force will bring stakeholders together to identify the
problems and find solutions, whether through state support, training
programs, or new strategies to recruit and retain EMTs and
paramedics.”
Across Illinois, departments are closing or consolidating stations
due to staffing shortages, funding gaps, and reliance on outdated
data – a trend Fritts hopes to address through his proposed
legislation.
“It’s unacceptable that taxpayers can wait 20 minutes for an
ambulance while a loved one is having a heart attack,” Fritts said.
Rural Illinois emergency services rely heavily on paid-on-call EMTs
and paramedics, often earning as little as $15 per call, Fritts
said. Many of these responders also hold full-time fire service jobs
in nearby suburbs, rotating between 24-hour shifts and their day
jobs, leaving them to cover local calls on days off.
Fritts highlighted a growing challenge for rural EMS personnel, what
he calls a “triple jeopardy” system of accountability.
EMTs and paramedics can face sanctions from their local department,
the regional medical center, and the Illinois Department of Public
Health. In some cases, even when local authorities find no fault,
IDPH has imposed penalties, including license suspensions, that
prevent responders from returning to their regular shifts.
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