Archive for January 16th, 2017

Elgin Fire Department News

Excerpts from the ChicagoTribune.com:

The Elgin Fire Department spent $1.368 million on overtime in 2016, a more than 20 percent reduction from $1.715 million spent in 2015.

Fire Chief Dave Schmidt said the biggest reason for the reduction was about a 45 percent decrease in time lost by staff out on workman’s compensation.

Schmidt said part of the reason for the reduction in injury-related overtime was probably due to the purchase in recent years of bariatric lifts for transporting people to the hospital. The lifts make it easier to move larger people, thus lessening the likelihood of injury for paramedics. Already, the department has seen about a 45 percent decrease in shoulder injuries since 2013.

“All seven of our ambulances have the lifts now,” Schmidt said. “The City Council is seeing a return on investment for having decided to allocate the money for their purchase, which was roughly $32,000 per ambulance.”

Elgin uses a high overtime/ low personnel model for manning its shifts. The model is based on studies claiming that using overtime is about 15 percent less expensive over time than hiring more firefighters, figuring in costs such as pensions and health insurance.

As such, city and fire department officials look at past years’ numbers and other information to estimate how much overtime might be used in each year and budget accordingly. In 2016, that set-aside was $1.7 million.

thanks Dan

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Norwood Park Fire Protection District news

Excerpts from the ChicagoTribune.com:

After more than 30 years that included more than a decade serving as Norwood Park’s fire chief, Kevin Stenson will retire at the end of the month, leaving the decision of who will fill the department’s top spot to the Norwood Park Fire Protection District Board of Trustees.

The board is expected to select a new fire chief to transition the department to new leadership sometime in the next few months, according to Deputy Fire Chief Dan Johns.

Stenson, who has a son by the same name who followed in his footsteps to become a Chicago firefighter, said he started his career as an firefighter with Norwood Park two years after he moved to Norridge from Chicago in 1984. He will retire on Jan. 26, he said.

After serving for a decade as a firefighter, he was promoted to lieutenant in 1996, a position he held until 2002 when he became deputy fire chief. He was promoted to chief in 2005.

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New truck for Pleasant Prairie, WI

From the E-ONE Facebook page:

Happy #FireFighterFriday to Pleasant Prairie Fire and Rescue who arrived in Ocala, FL to inspect their new HP 100 Platform. Looking good! Thank you Fire Safety USA, Inc. #EONEStrong

Pleasant Prairie FD Truck 5632

E-ONE photo

Pleasant Prairie FD Truck 5632

E-ONE photo

Pleasant Prairie FD Truck 5632

E-ONE photo

Pleasant Prairie Fire Department buys new fire truck

E-ONE photo

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Glen Ellyn VFD orders two engines (more)

From the Glen Ellyn Volunteer Fire Company Facebook page:

Our new Rosenbauer engines have arrived! In the next couple of weeks, we will be training with them and working to get them in service.

New Rosenbauer fire engine for the Glen Ellyn VFD

Glen Ellyn VFD photo

New Rosenbauer fire engine for the Glen Ellyn VFD

Glen Ellyn VFD photo

New Rosenbauer fire engine for the Glen Ellyn VFD

Glen Ellyn VFD photo

New Rosenbauer fire engine for the Glen Ellyn VFD

Glen Ellyn VFD photo

New Rosenbauer fire engine for the Glen Ellyn VFD

Glen Ellyn VFD photo

thanks John

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