BFPD FY26 GFOA Budget - Flipbook - Page 10
| BUDGET MESSAGE
culture through the District’s Safety Committee, Health Safety Officer, and Fitness Committee.
Ongoing work includes evaluating health and safety initiatives, managing workers’
compensation, assessing the cost-effectiveness of the risk management program, and monitoring
other key measures.
The last few years have been a turning point for our operating budget as we launched several
new initiatives after nearly a decade of tight stewardship. Notable items for 2026 include:
Personnel changes — We anticipate two full-time retirements in 2026 and the retirement of the
District’s final two Paid-On-Call firefighters in January. The Paid-On-Call program has been an
important part of Bartlett’s history and helped shape the organization we are today; their
retirement marks the end of an era and will be a bittersweet moment for us all.
Communications and outreach — In 2025 we welcomed Adam Radcliffe as our new Social
Media & Marketing Coordinator following Sasha Lindstrom’s departure. Adam has continued to
expand our online presence, growing Facebook to more than 10,000 followers while increasing
engagement on Instagram and TikTok. We also published our second District newsletter, which
was very well received.
EMS Outreach – In 2025 the District welcomed EMS Administrator Laura Negri, who has
strengthened our clinical training and expanded community-focused outreach and risk-reduction
work. Laura launched several new programs — Safe Sitter babysitting classes, the Vial-of-Life
emergency form program, targeted home-safety visits, and the Snow Angel program — and has
taken an active, hands-on role responding to frequent-caller incidents, working with those
residents to address underlying medical and social needs so they are less reliant on Bartlett Fire
EMS. Her efforts are improving patient care, preventing avoidable calls, and building stronger
connections between the District and the community.
Labor relations — Staff will begin negotiations on a new union contract in 2026. For context, the
Illinois Public Employer Labor Relations Association reports median public-sector wage
increases of 4% in 2025, down from 6.9% in 2024. We will factor current market trends into our
bargaining strategy to remain competitive and fiscally responsible.
The 2026 Budget supports several combined capital and operating initiatives — including
accreditation, replacement turnout gear and fire hose, an advanced life-support manikin, wireless
vehicle headsets, dive/ swift-water training and equipment, and a new ambulance.
With our strategic plan now complete, 2026 will concentrate on delivering measurable outcomes
for priority goals: strengthened regional partnerships, a sustainable fleet, long-term financial
resiliency, enhanced inter-agency cooperation, accreditation attainment, stabilized EMS call
volumes, operational efficiency, improved internal communications, a better-informed
community, and a thorough evaluation of community EMS needs.
A key priority for the district is developing our personnel and addressing the ongoing challenge
of recruiting new firefighters, as the pool of qualified candidates continues to decline. In 2026,
we will continue to expand our internship and apprenticeship programs with local high schools
P a g e 10 | BARTLETT FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT | BUDGET MESSAGE
