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Consultants recommend more training, supervision layer and phased hires in Glencoe public‑safety study
Summary
Fitch & Associates told the Committee of the Whole that Glencoe’s combined public‑safety model delivers high proactive service but faces supervision and training shortfalls; consultants recommended adding a supervisory layer, increasing sworn staffing from the mid‑20s toward 32 over time, and committing to expanded training.
Fitch & Associates presented the results of a staffing study to the Glencoe Committee of the Whole on June 18, saying the village’s combined public‑safety model produces a high level of proactive activity but that the department needs structural and training changes to sustain that work.
The consulting firm noted the department’s distinctive workload mix and said about "51% of the activity done by this department is self initiated," a higher share than neighboring communities, which contributes to higher per‑capita interventions. "If you compare them here, that's the benchmarks," consultant Guillermo Fuentes said.
The study identified three central challenges: limited training exposures for infrequently performed paramedic and fire skills; a heavy reliance on overtime (the consultant noted more than $1,000,000 of the budget goes to overtime); and a supervision gap created when lieutenants are pulled from field work to handle administrative duties. "You have a significant supervision problem," the consultant said, urging a modeled rank between frontline supervisors and deputy chief to provide day‑to‑day oversight.
As solutions, Fitch recommended a phased approach rather than an immediate, full‑scale hiring push: increase the sworn complement over time (the report used a planning target of roughly 32 sworn positions compared with the mid‑20s baseline), create a captain‑equivalent layer or similar intermediate rank, and commit to a defined annual training cadence (the firm cited about 240 hours as a benchmark for some combined training needs). The consultant also urged negotiating collective‑bargaining language to permit acting‑officer assignments so field supervision is preserved when supervisors are absent.
Village staff emphasized the implementation complexity. Staff told trustees that the study’s staffing additions would be phased (they discussed a four‑year phase‑in) and flagged that the village’s collective‑bargaining agreement and pension/unfunded‑liability implications will affect costs and timing. Trustees repeatedly raised promotion‑from‑within considerations as a retention strategy; staff agreed that internal career pathways should be prioritized.
No formal action was taken; Fitch and staff said the presentation was informational and that the finance committee would perform a deeper fiscal review in coming meetings to determine what, if any, elements to work into the 2027 budget. "There's no expectation for the board to make decisions at this meeting," the presenter said, and staff asked trustees to bring questions for upcoming budget discussions.
What’s next: staff and consultants will return with more detailed cost estimates and phased scenarios; the finance committee is scheduled to take a deeper dive before the board considers budget implications.
