Archive for April 17th, 2016

Lisle-Woodridge FD news

Excerpts from patch.com:

The Lisle-Woodridge Fire District (LWFD) has terminated their entire finance department and outsourced all financial work to Governmental Accounting, Inc of Inverness, IL. The move will save the district money – eventually. Its questionable if taxpayers will ever see the savings.

It will take 9 months to recover the costs of the severance and release payouts for the three LWFD employees who were terminated.

The LWFD Board of Trustees approved the severance agreements on March 22, 2016. There was no public disclosure prior to board approval – a blatant violation of the IL Open Meetings Act. It took Lisle Watchdogs three weeks to get the district to release the board approved severance documents with multiple communications to the LWFD FOIA officer, James Weaver, and correspondence to the IL Attorney General. Under the IL Freedom of Information Act these records were required to be provided in 5-days.

Better late than a lawsuit.

$123, 300 Severance to Terminate Three Employees

The district terminated the finance director, the finance assistant, and the accounting specialist. Each was given a separate severance agreement. The total of all three severance packages is $123,319. The three employees had a combined total annual salary of $198,015 and a combined total compensation package of $295,631.We are waiting to hear when the severance payments were made to see if they were structured to provide a pension spike.

Barbara Beshears, the finance director received a severance package of $73,983.07.
Her annual salary was $97,619 and her total compensation package was $133,402.

Cathy Hojak, the finance assistant, received a severance package of $28,814.88
Her annual salary was $66,452 and her total compensation package was $102,311.

Randi Wobrock, the accounting specialist, received a severance package of $20,521.11.
Her annual salary was $33,944 and her total compensation package was $58,918.

thanks Dan

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Chicago firefighters opened their house to a young boy with cancer

Excerpts from CLTV.com:

A young boy with cancer recently got to meet his heroes, and be the guest of honor at a Chicago fire station.

Andrew Ewers is an 8-year-old from Bradley, Illinois, and he has leukemia. On Sunday he spent the day at a fire house on the city’s Southwest Side — the one in the 2200 block of West 51st Street.

Andrew was made an honorary captain for the day — even getting to wear a helmet. He got to climb up in the ladder truck, and he got to see some action while they responded to a call.

The firefighters went over the top, cooking breakfast for the boy and his family and bringing him gifts, including a hockey puck signed by Patrick Kane.

thanks Dan

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New engine for the Urbana Fire Department

This from Bill Fricker:
Here’s a few photos of the new Spartan ER pumper in Urbana, IL .   2016 Spartan ER ( 215015-01 )  1,500-gpm/500-gbt  I hope you like the pictures.
All photos by Bill Fricker
Urbana FD Engine 251

Urbana Engine 251 – 2016 Spartan 1500/500 so 215015-01. Bill Fricker photo

Urbana FD Engine 251

Bill Fricker photo

Urbana Fire Department

Bill Fricker photo

Spartan fire truck law tag

Bill Fricker photo

Urbana Fire Department

Bill Fricker photo

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Working fire in Cicero, 4-15-16

This from Josh Boyajian:

Cicero’s 2nd fire of the day (4-15-16), a 2.5 sty, wood frame at 6006 29th Street with some fire showing in the rear. Looked to be most of the fire was in the walls and attic. I arrived and took some pictures before command pulled the Box.

house fire in Cicero IL

Josh Boyajian photo

house fire in Cicero IL

Josh Boyajian photo

house fire in Cicero IL

Josh Boyajian photo

house fire in Cicero IL

Josh Boyajian photo

house fire in Cicero IL

Josh Boyajian photo

house fire in Cicero IL

Josh Boyajian photo

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