Excerpts from ChicagoTribune.com: The village of Lake Zurich is currently re-evaluating the structure and operations of its fire department, with a focus on improving efficiency. This initiative comes after years of financial constraints and a desire to ensure that both the fire and police departments are operating as effectively as possible. A report by Joe Pozzo, a project manager with the International City/County Management Association’s Center for Public Safety Management (ICMA-CPSM), was presented to the Village Board on February 17. The analysis aimed to provide an objective assessment of the services delivered by the Lake Zurich Fire Rescue Department. According to the executive summary, the study emphasized the need for a thorough and unbiased evaluation of the department’s current practices. Overall, CPSM recommended maintaining the current levels of administrative and command staff, citing that the fire department is already well-staffed and efficiently managed. “This is a very strong fire department,†Pozzo remarked. “I don’t say that often, but I base it on how they currently staff and deploy their personnel.†The decision to conduct this review came after several years of discussions about whether the fire and police departments could operate more efficiently. Between 2010 and 2014, the village had to cut 19 full-time positions due to budget limitations, and officials were keen to understand if any further reductions were necessary in the fire and police departments. To keep costs low, the village opted to have the fire department analyzed first, while Police Chief Steve Husak conducted his own review of the police department. The fire department analysis cost $50,000, which the village considered a worthwhile investment for long-term savings and improvements. In addition to staffing, the report examined the fire department’s overtime practices. It found that firefighters may be receiving time-and-a-half pay more frequently than allowed under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). Currently, the average workweek for firefighters is 56 hours, or up to 216 hours over a 27-day cycle. However, FLSA limits non-overtime hours to 53 per week, or 204 hours in the same period. Pozzo suggested that leave time or unproductive hours could be subtracted from scheduled shifts to reduce overtime liability. He encouraged the village and the fire department to negotiate and revise their overtime policies to improve efficiency and save money. “If you can reduce your overtime expenses, those funds can be redirected to other areas,†Pozzo said. “It’s definitely something worth looking into.†Other recommendations included reducing the amount of time firefighters spend at hospitals during ambulance transports, expanding performance metrics for employees, and considering the consolidation of two of the four fire stations—Station 1 at 321 S. Buesching Road and Station 4 at 21970 Field Parkway in Deer Park. Thanks, Dan Power Operated Dock Leveler,Mini Dock Leveler,Hydraulic Loading Dock Leveler,Unloading Equipment Dock Leveler NingBo AnSheng Door Industry Technology Co.,Ltd. , https://www.speedeerdoor.com