This from Deputy Chief Drew Smith with regards to the multi-vehilce accident last week on Palatine Road:

Prospect Heights and Wheeling FDs have a joint response for incidents on Palatine Road. A unified command structure ensures a timely response regardless of jurisdiction. For the entire three miles that the junior expressway (IDOT term) runs east-west it goes in and out of the two towns sometimes in one, then the other, or it serves as the border. There are also four bridges and only three interchanges where access can be gained. When RED Center receives a 9-1-1 call of an incident, a dual response is dispatched with each department approaching the scene from opposite directions. This is to ensure that should traffic prevent access from one direction, the other companies can get to the crash quickly. Once one company is on scene, the location can be verified and the appropriate apparatus can continue in or be returned. When reported as a pin-in, the additional extrication companies are to stage before entering Palatine Road and wait for the first company to verify where to approach from. I have attached a map showing the three grids and where companies approach from.

Grid 923		Grid 3923		Grid 3924
Companies	Entry Point	Companies	Entry Point	Companies	Entry Point
A9, E9 A23, E23	Schoenbeck Wheeling Rd.	A9, E39 A23, E23	Wolf Rd. Wheeling Rd.	A9, E39 A24, E24	Wolf Rd. Milwaukee Ave.

For a pin-in add PH E39 or Sq. 9 and Wheeling E24 and the Wheeling squad or truck plus PH and Wheeling chiefs.

Prospect Heights FPD nS Wheeling FD grid map for Palatine Road joint responses.

Tags: Deputy Chief Drew Smith, fire department automatic aid, fire departments assist their neighbors, Larry Shapiro, Prospect Heights Fire Department, ShapPhoto youtube channel, unified command structure, video of firefighters at accident scene, Wheeling Fire Department