Archive for June 7th, 2016

Fire departments consider sharing a fire chief

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.

 

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Ambulance stolen from local hospital

Excerpts from theChciagoTribune.com:

Authorities Illinois State Police troopers arrested a woman who is accused of stealing a MedEx ambulance about 6:45 a.m Tuesday morning from the University of Illinois at Chicago Hospital.

The Illinois State Police was notified about 7:30 a.m., and they followed the ambulance until they stopped it in the southbound lanes of Interstate 294 near Cicero Avenue.

Excerpts from ABC7Chicago.com:

A 42-year-old woman is in custody after an ambulance chase that stretched from Chicago to Hillside to Alsip. According to authorities, the private ambulance was reported stolen around 6:45 a.m. Tuesday from the UIC Medical Center ER bay in the 1700-block of West Taylor Street.

The suspect drove the ambulance down the outbound Eisenhower Expressway to Hillside, then got on the southbound Tri-State Tollway and drove to Alsip, near Cicero Avenue, police said. There, she stopped the ambulance in the right lane of traffic and was arrested peacefully just before 8 a.m.

thanks Dan

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Chicago 2-11 Alarm fire, 6-6-16

Excerpts from wgntv.com:

A fire broke out on the third floor of a courtyard building at 4014 N. Central Park Avenue in Chicago’s Albany Park neighborhood.

fire department press briefing

Tim Olk photo

heavy smoke from apartment building

Tim Olk photo

heavy smoke from apartment building

Tim Olk photo

heavy smoke from apartment building

Tim Olk photo

firefighters operate hose at fire scene

Tim Olk photo

heavy smoke from apartment building

Tim Olk photo

apartment building fire in Chicago

Tim Olk photo

heavy smoke from apartment building

Tim Olk photo

heavy smoke from apartment building

Tim Olk photo

heavy smoke from apartment building

Tim Olk photo

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Blue Island Fire Department history

This from Mike Summa:

Hello,
Here are two pictures from the Blue Island Fire Department.  The first is the former Engine 2123, it’s a 1987 Spartan/Darley 1500/500.  The second is Blue Island’s Ford ambulance.  Both pictures show the equipment carried on each rig.  Please feel free to comment, I hope that you will enjoy.
Thank you,
Mike S.
Blue Island FD fire engine with equipment

Mike Summa photo

Blue Island FD ambulance

Mike Summa photo

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