Firefighters in Dolton, Illinois, protest over unsafe equipment and eligibility of fire chief

Firefighters in Dolton, Illinois, protested on Monday, saying that their equipment is unsafe and their chief isn't qualified.

The union representing those firefighters raised serious concerns about safety and competency at the top of the department.  Meanwhile, the village said this is all about a recent reduction in overtime pay for firefighters.

Outside the Dolton Village Hall, firefighters sounded the alarm on safety concerns and what they call ongoing leadership failures.

"We have raised concerns about apparatus maintenance and pack shortages back in October, and those issues still have not been resolved," said Lieutenant Ian Cosgrove.

Union leaders said the department has only a handful of working air packs used by firefighters to breathe in heavy smoke—the others, they said, are broken. A video was also provided that shows what the union said amounts to neglected and defective fire engines.

"In the last two weeks, we are down to one engine, and we had to borrow a neighboring town's engine so we could run effective responses for our community," Cosgorve said

Interim Fire Chief Quention Curtis was appointed by Mayor Jason House last October. The union said the chief isn't qualified for the job, lacking both the state-required training and education. They filed a lawsuit last month challenging his qualifications.

"It is not appropriate or safe for this community to have a fire chief that does not meet standards," said IAFF Local 3766 President Adam Farej.

"If you want to tarnish my reputation over individuals who don't want to follow policy, be my guest," Curtis said. 

At a regularly scheduled village hall meeting, Curtis said he is in the process of completing the necessary coursework and is actively addressing the equipment concerns.

"I've spent $35,000 in repairs in the last 60 days, none of them said that, did they? None of them said I ordered new equipment, did they?" Curtis said. "I'm not worried about passing the state exams. I've passed over 70."

Dolton residents spoke both for and against the appointment of Chief Curtis.

"It's not a personal thing, it's about what's best for the community," said Dolton Chaplin Elder Deborah White. "So, I stand with the fire department. It's about their safety, and not only theirs, it's about our safety."

"I stand firm with Chief Q. We stand united, we stand unapologetically with him, because this right here is what true brotherhood looks like," said Jerrion Smith.

Mayor House defended his decision to appoint Chief Curtis, saying that he has slashed the department's overtime by $30,000 a month. The village attorney said Curtis meets all of the criteria to be chief.