Excerpts from TheChicagoTribune.com:
On its first day in service on May 15, the emergency rapid response vehicle arrived at Willow Creek Community Church in South Barrington in 90 seconds to medically assist a patient.
Before this vehicle was re-equipped and put in service, the response time would have been about five minutes, explained Fire Battalion Chief Scott Motisi of the Barrington-Countryside Fire Protection District. He said without the vehicle, another one would have been deployed from a district fire station in Barrington Hills, which was farther away from the church.
The re-equipped 2004 Ford Excursion features medical gear typically found on an engine … It also carries [hydraulic tools and] … a four-gas monitor. “It can handle pretty much everything in the first five minutes of an emergency,” he said.
The district serves 20,000 people in portions of Barrington Hills, South Barrington, Lake Barrington, Inverness and Fox River Grove, as well as portions of unincorporated Cook, Lake and McHenry counties. That’s a total of 46 square miles. Officials said 80 percent of its coverage area does not have fire hydrants.
Instead, they rely on nearby retention ponds, from which fire engines draft water [in addition to water tenders].
“… not having fire hydrants is the choice of these communities. The lots are larger and the community wanted a rural setting,” Roman said.
Tom Long, board president of Barrington-Countryside Fire Protection District, said getting to the large coverage area quickly with fire and medical services is crucial. “We’re always looking for ways to decrease response times in a reasonably fiscal manner,” he said, adding the vehicle was used 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday from the South Barrington Police Department.
“That’s when most of calls occur. We can look at when and where they are. This is data driven,” Long said. … the vehicle responds to eight to 10 calls a week … helps the district adhere to the six-minute emergency response time in reaching cardiac patients, set by the American Heart Association.
Fire Chief Jeffrey Swanson said the district was planning a third station.
“This vehicle will help us get ready to open it. No land or location have been chosen,” he said.
The current Ford Excursion was valued at $47,500, which included the medical and emergency equipment. A new, fully equipped Excursion will cost district $113,000, Swanson said.
