CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- Mayor Lightfoot said the shut down of the Chicago Fire Department Academy over a COVID-19 outbreak was due to negligence on the part of recruits.
The fire academy was closed earlier this week for deep cleaning after about 50 firefighter candidates and instructors tested positive for COVID-19, and the Mayor said the candidates were not following advice.
"There were a lot of precautions that were put in place at the academy and the various recruits were admonished over and over again about what they needed to do when they left the academy to make sure they were continuing to engage in the public health precautions that would keep them safe," Lightfoot said.
“Unfortunately, my understanding is that didn’t happen. And that was a significant problem...People didn’t pay attention. They didn’t listen. They didn’t follow precautions. They were engaged in lots of activities after hours that put them and their colleagues at risk. I hope we don’t see a repeat of that. But [those are> the facts."
She said it all comes down to individuals' decisions.
“We can put rules and plans in place. We can advise people about what the best practices are. We can provide them with equipment and tools. But, all of this — as we’ve been saying since March — really comes down to the kind of individual decisions that are made by people," Lightfoot said.