Excerpts from the NWHerald.com:
Marengo Fire Protection District Chief Bob Bradbury will be retiring at the end of September after 36 years of service to the city. He will be replaced by Marengo Deputy Fire Chief John Kimmel, who was appointed as chief of the city’s fire protection district Aug. 19 and as chief of the city’s rescue district Aug. 28.
In addition to his service in Marengo, Bradbury also spent 22 years in a full-time capacity as a firefighter, medic, fire prevention officer, and fire marshal in the city of Elgin.
Bradbury is optimistic about the district’s future because the all-part-time crew of the fire and rescue districts will start to receive benefits thanks to the passage of two referendums earlier this year. Another referendum was passed in 2007, allowing the district to be able to staff an engine throughout the day.
Marengo firefighters and paramedics make about $46,000 a year without benefits, and the new benefits will allow the district to retain staff and personnel longer and will lower training costs – which can be as high as $10,000 for paramedics – by attracting well-trained firefighters. Although employee wages typically account for around 65% of a fire district’s budget, Marengo’s wages account for around 95% of its budget.
Following the passage of the referendums, a Marengo homeowner with a home valued at $100,000 would see a property tax increase of about $45 a year to provide benefits to fire and rescue crews and about $19 a year for a Union resident.
