Watchdog says Chicago Fire Department still hasn't addressed flaws with ambulance response times

CHICAGO (CBS) -- For years, the CBS 2 Investigators have been reporting on slow response times by the Chicago Fire Department, and problems with collecting data. Now the city's top watchdog says not much has changed.

In a new report released today, Inspector General Deborah Witzburg's office said the Fire Department has not implemented corrective actions to improve its systems.

They've also not hired more staff for ambulances, blaming the lack of change on the pandemic and budget shortfalls.

In 2019, CBS 2 found 19% of the ambulance responses we analyzed took longer than the department's 6-minute commitment.

The Fire Department also was using an outdated system – and missing data – making it impossible to determine accurate response times.

In:
• Chicago Fire Department
• Chicago Inspector General