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25 Comments

• #1 by Brian on October 8, 2013 - 8:02 PM

  

  It’s going to happen on a regular basis with Tri-State not having enough ambos to cover such a large response area that they have

• #2 by Martin Nowak on October 8, 2013 - 7:26 PM

  

  Wow already lol

• #3 by Jim on October 8, 2013 - 7:00 PM

  

  Attention everybody! Roberts park ambulance 32 /31 responds to willow . They got toned out twice today to assist tristate

• #4 by Joe Public on September 25, 2013 - 9:26 PM

  

  There’s no way they would remove Clarendon Hts 541 and leave the whole north side to one squad/truck and one ambulance. In light of everything that is going on right now leaving the whole north side to one company would be one more step to stupidity.

• #5 by Joe on September 25, 2013 - 4:13 PM

  

  It’s simply too many runs. Tri State does not run 7300+ runs a year let alone 7300 ambulance calls. As I said, my time there was a few years ago, less than 10, but it wasn’t long enough that it could have changed that much. The demographics and geographical area are basically the same, they couldn’t have possibly gained that many runs in that short an amount of time. Again, I’m not certain of the exact numbers as I can’t find a copy of any of their annual reports, but 7300+ is far too many.

• #6 by The DH on September 22, 2013 - 11:37 PM

  

  Hmm, by those numbers, that would make them the busiest ambos in DuPage…

• #7 by Jim on September 22, 2013 - 8:29 PM

  

  FFEMT- If each did 10 ambulance runs a day that would equal 7300 ambulance runs. Seems kind of high for just ambulance runs.

• #8 by FFPM571 on September 22, 2013 - 7:33 PM

  

  The contract works out for Tri-state, They can use the money they have big pensions and a Federal lawsuit to pay for. ” ALL BELTED!”

• #9 by FFEMT on September 22, 2013 - 2:14 PM

  

  Joe…I think you’re far off. Things must have changed since you were there. My department gives them an ambo CONSTANTLY due to both their ambulances being busy….go back and talk to some of the guys. Things have certainly increased since you were there.

• #10 by Joe on September 22, 2013 - 12:36 PM

  

  @FFEMT, your numbers are inaccurate. I’m a former contract employee and spent a lot of time on 524 and 534, they do nowhere near 10-12 a day each. 4 or 5 a day is more like it. I can’t find a copy of any of their annual reports, but I know that 10-12 a day is far too high.

• #11 by Mike L on September 22, 2013 - 9:30 AM

  

  The Willow Springs FFs are out of a job come October 1st. They are all part-time; including the chief. Because Tri-State is full-time Fire/Contract medic, no WSFD personnel are being kept around. In talking to a few friends from Willow, they had absolutely no knowledge of this until last Tuesday night. While it is a shame that the Willow folks are losing their part-time jobs, at least no full-time FFs are being laid off as with Barrington. The part about the old Clarendon Heights Station (Station 4) closing is interesting. That’s about 500 runs a year that occur in District 4. Closing the Heights station will only increase Sqd 526’s runs as 524 already handles the EMS up there. Westmont, Dar-Wood and Hinsdale will take the M/A hit as 534 makes many runs to 524’s district on second calls. 534 will no longer be available for those 2nd calls up north if they’re tied up on a run in Willow.

  Not sure what Willow’s primary hospital is but I assume it’s LaGrange with a few trips to Palos & Christ; maybe MacNeal. That being said, Tri-State will have to honor those pt’s requests if they want to go to one of those hospitals which will only add to the burden for the 2 TSFPD ambs and the surrounding towns having to pick up their slack.

  Of course, the administration will say it’s all good and no reduction of service has occured, etc, etc… all the smoke and mirrors that someone else mentioned.

  Whatever happens, just make sure we’re ALL BELTED for the ride this story is taking us on!

• #12 by FFEMT on September 22, 2013 - 6:58 AM

  

  Jim…not sure totals, but 524 and 534 each do about 10-12 calls per day. This makes them BY FAR the two busiest companies in MABAS 10.

  • #13 by Jim on September 24, 2013 - 3:22 PM

    

    10-12 runs a day is a lot . Idk why they don’t have PLVW handle them because there geographically closer to Willow and there station is in neighboring hodgkins/countryside . Tristate is dupage county and is farther west which means longer response time not to mention they cover 3 cities one of them is 30.000+ residents and Dar-Wood would be tied
    Up handling mutual aid EMS runs

• #14 by cmk420 on September 21, 2013 - 9:42 PM

  

  Couple more observations on this:
  1-What happened with all of Willow Springs’ personnel? Did they absorb into Tri-State? or this still unknown? I would make an assumption (uninformed of course) that there were paramedics on Willow Springs, so can’t they add a 3rd manned ambulance at the Willow Springs station to avoid overburdening the existing ambulances?

  2-Isn’t Tri-State the subject of a recent investigation that was noted on this site? Did Willow Springs know about this before or after this decision was made?

• #15 by FF/PM MABAS 21 on September 21, 2013 - 7:46 PM

  

  J: Tri-State only has manned ambulances at their Stations 2 and 3 with contract medics and their Station 3 being the closest to Willow Springs. I’ve never been on either WSFD or Tri-State, so im not here to insult, but this will definitely burden other surrounding departments with mutual aid ambulances.

  Both Toms: Rumor was that Walsh Construction, who built the Town Square, purchased the E-One tower for WSFD as a developement impact fee and couldn’t keep up with the payments. So WSFD was stuck with them and couldn’t afford it, therefore sold it. Again, this was the rumor.

• #16 by Jim on September 21, 2013 - 9:08 AM

  

  Does anybody know the call volume of Tri State? Fire runs? Ambulance runs?

• #17 by J on September 21, 2013 - 12:03 AM

  

  Heres a point to look at…. Pleasantview station 2 is right down the street on wolf rd. There is no ambulance there. If Tri State just puts an ALS engine in willow springs station. The closest ambulance is from Pleasantview station 1 on Plainfield rd. Or from tri states station 1. Thats a haul. Just a point to put out there.

• #18 by Tom Foley on September 20, 2013 - 11:23 PM

  

  The 3 single bays may hold their boat and a utility truck.

  The newer part/addition has housed their engines and ambulances since they sold the truck a few years back, so it’s wouldn’t be unusual to see the 3 single bays empty.

  Maybe it was because it was a little different, but I thought the black truck was neat looking.

  I will echo the comment made earlier that the letter to the residents is definitely smoke and mirrors. It will be interesting for our community here on ChicagoAreaFire to watch things unfold.

• #19 by Tom on September 20, 2013 - 9:24 PM

  

  Why did Willow Springs sell the newer ladder truck that was given to them by the condo developer? The three single bays at wsfd were empty Thursday, don’t knoow if they’re starting to clear out their apparatus.
  Also heard they don’t even have a public works dept anymore, contracted out to Beary landscaping.

• #20 by Mike on September 20, 2013 - 9:14 PM

  

  Tri-State station 4 will be closed or unmanned. 541 will go to Willow’s station. No new ambulances they will depend on mutual aid. The rogue board will tell the resident’s that station 2 can make it to a call just as quick as Station 4. With Westmont down the street the north end of town is covered. Now you add 400,000 – 500,000 to your budget without adding any staff.

• #21 by Martin Nowak on September 20, 2013 - 7:12 PM

  

  I believe Roberts Park will be going into Willow Springs once in a while, just like Tri-State might go into Justice. As long as there are available Ambulances. I know when RP is tied up with calls, Bedford Park and Bridgeview respond to certain areas in Justice (referring to past EMS calls) and North Palos has been to areas closer to their stations (parts of Hickory Hills.) I’ve been thinking about this take over and I think having Tri-State in Willow Springs will benefit the town and Pleasantview and Roberts Park in Mutual Aid calls.

  • #22 by Jim on September 25, 2013 - 9:08 PM

    

    I think NP 812 and 813 cover a small portion of Hickory Hills west of 78th avenue on 95th.

• #23 by FF/PM MABAS 21 on September 20, 2013 - 5:39 PM

  

  What a crock of s&#$ from your typical politicians!!! Very misleading to the residents of Willow Springs, since not once does the letter mention the desolution of their fire department nor does it acknowledge the professionalism, accomplishments or services of their current staff. Well one can sure hope that Tri-State mans an ALS ambo there so it doesn’t burden Roberts Park or the rest of MABAS 21! Just curious on how will response times improve, Mayor? How will the firehouse not be left unoccupied when firefighters are responding to calls; are they mysteriously going to reappear in the station? And how are they going to be more involved in the community then what the WSFD was? No higher taxes in the process; won’t the residents have to pay a fire protection district tax to Tri-State since it is a separate agency? Nothing but a bunch of smoke and mirrors!

• #24 by Tom Foley on September 20, 2013 - 4:50 PM

  

  In reality, the equipment listed in the letter is already available to residents via mutual aid.

  I feel like the tone of the letter states that Willow Springs will have dedicated equipment such as multiple ladder trucks, etc.

  What remains to be seen is what happens with the current Willow Springs equipment in the near term? Will they keep it? Sell it off? I don’t believe Tri-State has a surplus of gear to staff the Willow Springs house.

  Anyone know about staffing? I’d assume Tri-State would hire.

• #25 by sp on September 20, 2013 - 2:36 PM

  

  What a shame. It was such a good department with great people. It will be interesting to see how many guys Tri-State staffs the Willow Springs firehouse with. I’m also surprised that this mayor, being so power hungry that he is, gave up all control of his fire protection services. It will be interesting when he tries to tell Tri-State to do something the way he wants to and they tell him to go pound sand.

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