Serving the City (Ch. 8)

For a city and community to be among the elite and lead the nation, the government and the community must work to benefit the whole. There are many ways in which this can happen, from law enforcement to education. Furthermore, the community must come together to serve itself.

Chicago's finest. The Fire department is comprised of 98 stations, 4,314 firefighters and 619 paramedics. Established in 1832, it is the largest department in the Midwestern United States. The Chicago Police department is the largest in the Midwest and the second largest in the US with 13,400 officers and over 1,800 employees.


The health care system of Chicago is comprised of John H. Stroger, Jr. Hospital of Cook County (the largest largest trauma-center in the city), University of Chicago Medical Center (the fourteenth best hospital in the US), and The University of Illinois College of Medicine (the largest medical school in the United States) to name a few. Chicago is also the base for numerous medical associations.

Chicago is home to the third largest school districts in the nation with 400,000 students enrolled. There are 680 public schools, 394 private schools, 83 colleges, and 88 libraries in Chicago. The schools are trying to improve the success of their students by emphasizing the importance the role of the parent, which has improved attendance rates. Chicago is a city that is very interested in having its students succeed.

The Chicago Education Project helps serve a different portion of the community. The nonprofit special education facility aids family and children that suffer from Autism, PDD-NOS, emotional and behavioral disorders, learning disabilities, developmental disabilities, and other health impairments. This programs is designed to help such students exceed their dreams and prepare excel in their future by tailoring the lesson plans to each child's needs.