Archive for November, 2018

Oak Park Fire Department news

Excerpts from the CookCountyRecord.com:

An attempt by the village of Oak Park to establish a new way to evaluate whether its firefighters claiming to have been catastrophically injured in the line of duty should receive retirement health insurance benefits, has drawn a legal challenge from the union representing its firefighters, who say the village’s ordinance establishing the new rules violates Illinois state law and the firefighter’s rights as public employees under the state constitution.

On Nov. 26, International Association of Firefighters AFL-CIO Local 95 filed suit in Cook County Circuit Court against Oak Park, its mayor, and village board. The lawsuit focuses on the village board’s approval of an ordinance in early September, which creates a new administrative procedure for  assessing and determining claims under the Illinois Public Safety Employee Benefits Act (PSEBA).

Under that law, firefighters and other public safety workers who have suffered a catastrophic injury or have been killed in the line of duty, and their spouses and dependents, are eligible for health insurance benefits paid by their employer. In this case, that would mean the Village of Oak Park could be required to pay those health benefits for any of its firefighters who have been hurt while performing their duties.

While the PSEBA law doesn’t define the term catastrophic injury, Local 95’s complaint notes the Illinois Supreme Court, in its 2003 decision in Krohe v City of Bloomington, defined catastrophic injury for PSEBA purposes as any injury suffered by a firefighter or other safety responder for which the injured worker receives a line-of-duty disability pension benefit. Such pensions can entitle firefighters, police officers, and others who are injured on the job to receive 65 percent of their salary for as long as they are deemed to be disabled.

Further, Local 95 argued PSEBA bars local governments from providing benefits in a manner inconsistent with the PSEBA law.

In the ordinance, the Oak Park village board placed a different definition on catastrophic injury, defining it as  injuries which permanently prevent an individual from performing any gainful work. The ordinance further defines gainful work as full- or part-time activity that actually is compensated or commonly is compensated. The ordinance also requires firefighters and other village workers seeking benefits under PSEBA to file their claims within 30 days of filing a pension claim with the city. If firefighters had previously sought PSEBA benefits, they were given 30 days from the adoption of the ordinance to file their application.

And the ordinance would require workers seeking PSEBA benefits to include nine categories of documents or information in their PSEBA application, including an applicant’s firsthand description of events; a signed medical authorization release; a general information release; a witness list; and all pension board information. The application must also be sworn and notarized.

Local 95 argues those requirements all violate the PSEBA law and the Illinois state constitution, by adding steps not included under the law and throwing up obstacles to firefighters receiving constitutionally-protected retirement benefits they were otherwise entitled to receive.

The union argued the only criteria acceptable under PSEBA to determine firefighters’ eligibility is a determination by the Oak Park firefighters’ pension board that a firefighter had suffered an injury entitling them to a line-of-duty pension.

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As seen around … O’Hare

This from Dan McInerney:

CFD 6-5-7 watered the lawn on this dreary Thursday (11/29/18) 

Chicago FD ARFF 6-5-7 at O'Hare Airport

Dan McInerney photo

Chicago FD ARFF 6-5-7 at O'Hare Airport

Dan McInerney photo

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Carol Stream Fire District news

Excerpts from the ChicagoTribune.com:

Shortly before 4:30 p.m. Monday, the DuPage County Sheriff’s Office responded to a report of fire at a residence in the 1N200 block of Darling Street in an unincorporated area of the county. Firefighters from Carol Stream, Wheaton, and Addison responded and extinguished the fire. One person was found dead in the home, and the DuPage County Fire Investigation Task Force is investigating the cause of the blaze.

On Tuesday, the DuPage County coroner’s office declined to provide the identity of the victim, saying that the case was still under police investigation.

thanks Scott

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New Chicago Fire Department replica model

Chicago FD Engine 17 replia model Chicago FD Engine 17 replia model

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New engine for Roberts Park (more)

This from KEITH GRZADZIEL:

New Roberts Park Engine 32

Roberts Park FPD Engine 32

KEITH GRZADZIEL photo

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Apartment fire in Wheeling, 11-29-18

This from Brian Kazmierzak:

Prospect Heights & Wheeling dual response for a small fire in a 3rd floor apartment at 275 Oak Creek in Wheeling
Prospect Heights FPD Engine 9

Brian Kazmierzak photo

Wheeling FD Truck 24

Brian Kazmierzak photo

Wheeling FD Truck 24

Brian Kazmierzak photo

Wheeling FD Truck 24

Brian Kazmierzak photo

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Evanston Fire Department news (more)

Excerpts from the dailynorthwestern.com:

Evanston Fire Station 4 will remain open following the approval of the city’s 2019 operating budget, ensuring service levels and response times will be maintained at the current standard. Aldermen voted 6-3 to approve the city’s 2019 operating budget at a Nov. 19 council meeting, granting the city more than $319 million for the next year. The budget, which seeks to fill a projected $7.4 million deficit, was released at the beginning of October and includes a number of expense reductions and revenue increases.

The closure of the station was included in the city’s first draft of its budget which estimated a $1.2 million cut to EFD. The cut would have eliminated nine staff positions, the proposed station closure and the resulting elimination of its fire engine. Station 4 — located at 1817 Washington St. — is in the 2nd Ward and services the southwest region of Evanston.

Now, the department will hold some vacancies open and cut parts of its community engagement programming for the next fiscal year.

During a Nov. 5 council meeting, aldermen overwhelmingly opposed the possible station closure, referring to increased response times and also pointing out the fact that many residents rely on firefighters for medical care.

EFD’s call volume has increased by 51 percent over the past 35 years, and is expected to increase by 2 percent per year moving forward.

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Beecher Fire Protection District news

Beecher Fire Protection District press release for house fire

click on document to download a larger file

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Gas Leak in Franklin Park, 11-27-18

This from Ryan Higgins:

Gas in leak in Franklin Park IL, 11-27-18

Franklin Park FD fire engine

Ryan Higgins photo

Franklin Park FD fire truck

Ryan Higgins photo

Franklin Park FD Battalion 2

Ryan Higgins photo

gas company repairing leak

Ryan Higgins photo

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New engine for Evergreen Park

drawing of new fire engine for the Evergreen Park Fire Department

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