Archive for January 31st, 2014

Evanston Police & Fire Departments help young patient

This from the Daily Northwestern:

When more than 20 police cars and fire trucks showed up on the street where 10-year-old Julian Sims lives Thursday, the commotion confused him. But when the officers and firefighters showed up on his doorstep with balloons and bags of gifts, he knew they were there for him.

“We want to show him we’re 110 percent behind him,” Evanston Police officer Heidi Bernhardt said.

EPD officers and Evanston fire department officials participated in a motorcade Thursday, blocking off the 1500 block of Church Street to have a surprise visit to Julian at his home.

Julian, a fifth-grade student at Dewey Elementary School, was diagnosed with leukemia in October 2013. The Sims family has been looking for a match for a bone marrow transplant since November, holding bone marrow drives and raising money to get people tested. Two months ago, the incessant searching paid off, and the family found a match.

Julian starts the transplant process Friday when he reports to the hospital, where he will be confined to a room for more than a month without any visitors besides his parents. Bernhardt said the police and fire departments raised more than $3,000 in gifts for Julian and his family that would improve the time spent in the hospital. The items included gift cards, Chicago Blackhawks memorabilia and Xbox Live games that would allow Julian to talk and play with friends and his brother Miles.

“I was blown away,” Julian’s father Rich Sims said. “I had no idea it was going to be that big and with so many people.”

Officers lined up outside the Sims’ house to take turns greeting Julian and shaking his hand. Julian was presented with a police uniform top, complete with a personalized ID tag and a t-shirt signed by all of the firefighters.

After posing in a picture with all the officers, Julian, with a smile on his face, climbed into a fire truck and took a ride around Evanston.

“I feel that a lot of people respect me,” Julian said. “They’re trying to help me get through it.”

Julian’s story was brought to the officers’ attention by police officers Joseph Panek and Sean O’Brien. The two policemen, after reading articles about Julian online, showed up at the Sims’ house to volunteer to help Julian and his family.

When they found out Julian had found a match and was going to the hospital for his transplant, the officers reached out to the police department to organize something. They then reached out to captain/paramedic Jeffrey Boetto of the Evanston fire department, who gathered officers and five trucks to join the motorcade and support Julian.

“It’s a way to give back to the community,” Boetto said. “We wanted to give him some inspiration.”

Julian’s mother, Romy Sims, said her family has been lucky throughout the entire process. The Sims family, through the Be the Match Foundation, has raised more than $6,000 and has not had to pay for Julian’s transplant at all.

Romy Sims also said the officers’ help was so great since they didn’t have to help Julian — they wanted to.

“It’s above and beyond their duty,” she said. “It came from the heart. It’s totally uplifting.”

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Norwood Park Box Alarm, 1-28-14 (more)

This from Steve Redick:

Here are the photos to match the previous video. From what I was told the fire involved the chimney and wood burning stove in the basement, and the fire ran up to the attic. Make no mistake it was bitter cold, several degrees below zero. It was tough to do anything. Finally got some shots of the new rig working. This was a done deal in very short order.

Steve Redick

 

heavy smoke from single family house on fire

Steve Redick photo

firemen place ladder at house fire

Steve Redick photo

fire chief at door of house fire

Steve Redick photo

Norwood Park Pierce tower ladder

Steve Redick photo

firemen use saw to ventilate roof at house fire

Steve Redick photo

firemen ventilate roof at house fire

Steve Redick photo

fireman silhouetted on roof with smoke

Steve Redick photo

orwood Park FPD Pierce Impel puper

Steve Redick photo

rear of Pierce Impel fire engine

Steve Redick photo

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Barrington Countryside FPD orders new engine

The Barrington Courier Review has an article about the Barrington Countryside FPD ordering an new engine.

Continuing to expand its fleet, Barrington Countryside Fire Protection District trustees budgeted $425,000 last week for the purchase of a new fire engine.

Earlier in January, the board approved the purchase of two Ford F-150 pickup trucks for equipment transportation and two Ford Expedition to be used as shift command vehicles. Fire district officials said the vehicles will improve firefighters’ ability to protect residents as it operates independent of the village of Barrington’s Fire Department. The long-term fleet expansion plan does not call for increased taxes, district officials said.

“The new fire engine will hold 1,250 gallons of water and be able to carry larger diameter hoses for fire suppression activities,” District Fire Chief Jeff Swanson said. “In addition, the vehicle’s raised cab roof will provide more room for BCFPD firefighters and paramedics and their equipment, and improve their safety.”

The new engine is being built by Florida-based E-One, a worldwide manufacturer of emergency vehicles. The engine will replace an older pumper that will remain in service as a reserve engine.

In total, the new vehicles were budgeted to cost no more than $546,275. District officials said they were able to save taxpayers nearly $30,000 on the purchases by using state purchase pricing.

“Long before the BCFPD began independent operations, the board realized that we would need to upgrade our vehicles to meet the needs of our district,” District President Tom Rowan said. “We committed ourselves to make those improvements without raising taxes on residents.”

In 2012, the district retired more than $1 million in long-term bond obligations which had been originally raised to fund the purchase of the district’s Lake Barrington fire station, officials said. The move saved about $661,000 in interest payments that would have been due over the next 20 years, according to the district.

 

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