Excerpts from the ChicagoTribune.com:
Calling it a tremendous step toward the pursuit of functional consolidation, East and West Dundee fire departments will consider sharing a chief once the head of East Dundee’s department retires later this year. East Dundee Fire Chief Steve Schmitendorf is set to retire in December.
At Monday’s village board meeting, West Dundee officials approved executing an intergovernmental agreement with the East Dundee and Countryside Fire Protection District for joint management services. The measure now has to be approved by members of the East Dundee Fire Protection District board.
The East Dundee Fire District board met twice, once in April and again in May to discuss options for replacing Schmitendorf upon his retirement, West Dundee Fire Chief Randy Freise said in a memo to the West Dundee Village Board. Members were very interested in signing an intergovernmental agreement with West Dundee to have Freise take the helm of both departments.
At Monday’s West Dundee Village Board meeting, Freise went more in-depth as to what that consolidation would look like. He said a main advantage would be the cost savings realized by sharing a chief. East Dundee has proposed a salary of $125,000, including benefits, which would be shared 50/50, he said.
Freise would oversee both departments, with East Dundee’s fire deputy chief being directly responsible for East Dundee personnel. The deputy chief would report directly to Freise. Freise, in turn would continue to report directly to West Dundee Village Manager Joseph Cavallaro as well as the East Dundee Fire District Board.
Freise said the main goal will be to bring both departments together to function as one department, and other cost savings would come from sharing vehicles, training, and programs.
He added the agreement is very low risk due to an opt out clause that can be incorporated stating either party can terminate the agreement with a written 90-day notice.
Last December, citing nearly impossible hurdles at the state level, the Carpentersville Fire Department, East Dundee Fire Protection District and West Dundee Fire Department opted not to seek a legal consolidation.
