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More than 45 percent of Skokie residents speak a language other than English in their homes, according to the 2000 U.S. Census. Of those, 43 percent � just less than 20 percent of Skokie�s total population � described themselves as speaking English �less than well.�
Only 5.1 percent of Skokie listed Spanish as being their primary language at home, meaning that the vast majority of Skokie�s immigrants speak a language other than America�s primary second tongue, according to the census. Many more, a total of 21.2 percent, speak other �Indo-European� languages including Polish, Russian and Romanian. Another 12.8 percent speak Asian and Pacific Island languages, including both east Asian languages � such as Korean and Mandarin Chinese � and south Asian languages such as Hindi and Urdu. Assyrian, a major Skokie language group consisting primarily of Iraqi Christians, also fits into the latter group.
Neither Skokie Village Hall officials nor the departments themselves keep statistics on how many emergency services personnel speak a language besides English. But Capt. James Walters said he knows of no personnel in the Skokie Fire Department who provide translation services. While he estimated that there might be �one or two guys who speak some Spanish,� he said that the department is not equipped to communicate directly with citizens who speak no English whatsoever.
The Skokie Fire Department not only fights fires in the village, but also provides paramedic and emergency medical services, and runs fire prevention programs in local schools. But Walters said the department isn�t concerned about a disparity between a monolingual rescue team and the increasingly diverse community it serves.
�You do the best you can. Usually there�s someone there who speaks some English,� Walters said. In a crisis, paramedics can also depend on language assistance from Rush North Shore Medical center, he said.
Walters said that the fire department does recognize its shortcomings in dealing with Skokie�s non-English-speaking population. But there are no programs in the works to deal with the issue, he said.
�The problem is there are so many different languages to learn. There�s no way you could cover the bases,� he said.
Walters said that language barriers never pose a problem when fighting fires, and that paramedics depend more on �signs and symptoms� than verbal cues when stabilizing a patient for transport to the hospital.
Ultimately, Walters said he isn�t concerned about his department�s singular reliance on English as a means of communicating with the population.
�It never is a problem, really,� he said.
Sgt. Paul Kruzynski of the Skokie Police Department said that his department does meet the needs of Skokie�s diverse community. The department has officers and community volunteers on hand who speak Spanish, Assyrian, Greek, Polish, Russian and the Filipino language of Tagalog, Kruzynski said.
�We are somewhat representative of the community,� he said.
Being multilingual is not a requirement for acceptance into the department, Kruzynski added. �But it is helpful.�
Alan Gerstner, head of the Human Relations Commission, agrees that language is not an issue when it comes to emergency services.
The Human Relations Commission, which was founded to guarantee fair housing and other civil rights to members of Skokie�s diverse ethnic community, has never heard any formal complaints about inequitable treatment resulting from a language barrier between citizens and the Skokie police and fire departments, according to Gerstner.
�The thing you�re looking for is a qualified paramedic,� he said. �Language is second. I�d rather have someone who didn�t speak my language but could save my life, rather than someone who did speak my language and was mediocre. If somebody�s down, even if you can�t communicate with anyone around, you get a good idea of what�s going on.�
Some members of the community, however, are concerned that the language barrier between emergency services and the community might reflect a larger issue.
Jin Lee, a noted leader in the Korean community, wonders whether the lack of diversity within the ranks creates a disconnect between Skokie authorities and the people they are paid to protect.
�It would be nice to see ethnic diversity employees working for police, fire and other departments,� Lee said. �Because of the ethnic community, because of the language and cultural barrier, we still need to have or find a person who speaks the language or understands the culture. At least one or two. Right now we have none.�
Other residents were more blunt.
�I really feel that the Village is discriminating against the minorities,� said Linda Sargon, the immigration chair of the Human Relations Commission.
�Skokie always considers itself diverse, but it never give the minorities a chance to improve themselves,� Sargon said.
Lee gave an example from the Asian community where cultural differences with the rest of the community could create a potentially combustible situation.
�Say you are spanking your son or daughter in the public,� Lee said. �In the eyes of the community, when they see that they call the police saying that it is abuse. But as for the Asian community, that is not really abuse. It�s parents scolding their children to get them to be on good behavior.�
Lee says that such a misunderstanding could be easily diffused by having at least some Asian representation on emergency service staff.
�The best thing to do is try to find people who understand or knows about the culture,� Lee said. �So if anything happens they can contact that employee or any kind of a resource who can communicate and smooth out a situation.�