Lake Forest Professional Firefighters - Local 1898

06/07/2026

06/06/2026

Real numbers not opinions.

06/06/2026

Our very own FF Gleeson at the 1:08 mark!

06/05/2026

And another one!! Congratulations to the men and women of Sylvania Fire and EMS!! It's incredible watching the hard work of progressive departments pay off.
These thought leaders are not only going to attract the best candidates, they're going to raise the bar for the entire profession.
Some will change willingly, others begrudgingly, but it will happen either way. The science and first hand experience of the physical and mental health, perfect and financial benefits of the 24/72, 42 hour workweek are irrefutable now.
You can find a mountain of FREE resources on the 24/72 tab of the Behind the Shield Podcast.
Who's next?? 😁

06/05/2026

This first fire department in Georgia!!! 😁🔥
Congratulations to Greensboro Fire Department for being the first in their State to make this progressive move.
It's been an incredible week for the fire service. First, Marion County Fire Rescue, FL votes in the life and money saving 24/72, 42 hour workweek. Then this monumental change happens in Georgia.
The revolution is in full effect and it's incredible to watch. Both science and departments' testimonies have proven that this is a huge part of the solution to the firefighter physical and mental health crisis.
Not only that, these cities and counties are saving taxpayer's money by addressing excessive overtime, poor recruitment and retention, and the costs associated with work related diseases.
There is no downside to forging a healthier work force. Performance goes up, resulting in more lives saved. Not to mention you get another shift of highly trained firefighters to call in on an all hands event like a hurricane.
You can find a mountain of FREE resources on the 24/72 tab of the Behind the Shield Podcast website.
Who's next?? 😁🔥😁

06/04/2026

The Skokie Fire Department is proud to announce the addition of a fourth ambulance to our fleet. Since 2003, the department has operated three ambulances. Due to the increasing demand for emergency medical services (EMS), an additional ambulance is needed to help meet the growing workload.

Beginning today, a fourth ambulance will be placed into service three days per week during designated "power hours" (8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.). The Skokie Fire Department analyzed five years of historical call data to identify periods of highest demand for service. This analysis allowed us to establish these power hours, ensuring that resources are deployed in the most efficient and responsible manner possible.

The addition of a fourth ambulance strengthens the department’s operational capabilities, improves response effectiveness, and enhances the level of service we provide to the residents of Skokie.

We would like to thank the Village Board and the community for their continued support.

05/30/2026

📈WHAT THE STUDIES TELL US 📈

📊​Rigorous, independent research proves that numbers on the apparatus directly translate to lives saved:

​The NIST Landmark Study: Controlled live-burn research by the National Institute of Standards and Technology demonstrated that larger crews complete critical fireground tasks up to 30% faster than understaffed teams.

​The FSRI Health & Safety Study: Research by the Fire Safety Research Institute confirms that the 4-person baseline is a floor, not a ceiling. Moving to a 5-person model dramatically reduces extreme physical exhaustion, limits rapid fire growth, and minimizes toxic gas exposures.

​Real-World Performance Outcomes: Field simulations evaluating engine crew sizes showed that adding personnel yields an 11% faster time to put water on the fire, a 27% faster victim removal time, and a staggering 74% improvement in establishing a reliable water supply.

05/26/2026

On this Memorial Day, we say goodbye to our former Fire Chief Mike Beatty. Chief passed away last night after a hard-fought battle with cancer. Chief took this battle head on with grace and the “get to work” attitude he was known for.
Chief Beatty served the fire department from 1975 to 2004 and was Chief from 1996 until he retired. He served in many roles throughout his career including the Lake County Haz-Mat team. Prior to his time in the fire service, Chief served in the Navy as a fire control man and was deployed twice in both Vietnam and the Middle East. Chief also served on the Lake Forest Firefighters’ Pension board for part of his retirement.
Chief will be missed by his family, friends, and others that served with him; but like so many we remember today, he will not be forgotten.

05/16/2026

The Local would like to thank our neighboring departments for assisting with the structure fire and district coverage yesterday. Thanks to Mundelein Fire, Long Grove Fire Fighters Union IAFF Local 5145, Northfield Fire Rescue Association, Northbrook Fire, and Lincolnshire-Riverwoods Firefighters IAFF Local 4224.
This incident further demonstrates the need for more staffing. While extra agencies were needed on scene due to the size and severity of the fire, the station coverage far exceeded what was covering the community prior to the fire call. This compares a total of 8 before vs. 13 after. Our community had higher staffing levels from outside agencies.
Below is a breakdown of the station coverage before and then during the fire incident.
This disparity in staffing MUST be addressed by City and Department leadership ASAP.

LFFD St. #1 LFFD St. #2
Battalion 42 – 1 Engine 422 - 3
Engine 421 – 2 (No ambulance - jump company operations)
Ambulance 421 - 2

MABAS Coverage St. #1 MABAS Coverage St. #2
Chief (Lincolnshire) – 1 Engine (Northfield) – 4
Engine (Mundelein) – 4 Ambulance (Northbrook) - 2
Ambulance (Long Grove) - 2