From the Associated Firefighters of Oak Brook IAFF Local 4646 Facebook page:
This evening Oak Brook Firefighters responded to a motor vehicle accident that involved a prolonged extrication. Due to recent cuts in manpower, Oak Brook only had 2 firefighters available to man our squad and 1 firefighter available in a suv to handle this technical extrication. This incident required assistance from Berkley, Hillside, Oakbrook Terrace and York Center. The patient was extricated and transported to Loyola Hospital via helicopter.
Oak Brook Firefighters are currently working a vehicle accident with extrication on SB I294 in the area of 22nd St. Please use caution in the area.
Oak Brook Fire Department photo
thanks Danny
#1 by Ralph M. on April 30, 2021 - 2:09 PM
Correct me if I am wrong…but I do believe the residents of Oak Brook do not pay any sort of property tax to the village. The retail tax rate is also one of the lowest in the surrounding area.
#2 by Jeremy B. on April 29, 2021 - 10:00 PM
To Michael, Oak Brook lost McDonald’s corporation and Hamburger University to Chicago in 2018.
I’m not claiming the union intentionally did this, but their initial post was a bit misleading as to how many personnel they had on the scene. They had their Battalion Chief, 2 firefighters on Squad 93, 2 firefighters on Medic 93, and a Lieutenant from Ladder 94 that responded in an SUV because the other 2 firefighters assigned to 94 were on a medical call with their ambulance.
That puts total Oak Brook personnel on scene at 6, compared to the 3 that they talked about. They presumably intended it to be 3 firefighters dedicated to performing extrication because the Battalion Chief was in command, and the Medic crew was dedicated to patient care. It’s clearly a bad situation all around for staffing there, but 3 makes the situation sound a lot direr than 6.
#3 by Paul on April 29, 2021 - 9:10 PM
571-Never said I was against unions or pro unions just like you don’t know who took the pictures. I was just stating a Fact as the article was posted by Local 4646. I want fair unbiased reporting and IMO I don’t think a union can be impartial.
#4 by FFPM571 on April 29, 2021 - 7:52 PM
I see Paul must be the Non Union type… They had a rig unavailable. Their lack of manning left them short, Fact .. Mike… Who said that a firefighter took the photos? It looks like all of the photos were taken AFTER the Pt was removed from the truck…
#5 by Michael m on April 29, 2021 - 3:38 PM
I am curious about the full story as well. Yes Oak Brook is small compared to other towns in DuPage County but it has a huge shopping mall and two major interstate highways, and McDonalds Hamburger University all in its community. The mall and 294 and 88 should justify a fully staffed fire department. Granted incidents like this will not happen every day. But when they do happen, you really need as many firefighters as possible.
Just look at Des Plaines. Think about Bensenville, what would have happened if they did not have ladder 107 on the Marshall Road fire? Not to mention the many high rise apartment buildings in Bensenville. But I digress. Point is bad things happen, communities need to be prepared for them the best way possible.
#6 by Mike on April 29, 2021 - 3:18 PM
Huh. So short staffed, but someone was still able to snap some photos for social media?
#7 by Paul on April 29, 2021 - 2:24 PM
I would like to know the full story not just the bias union narrative.
#8 by Michael m on April 29, 2021 - 1:26 PM
Agreed, this is pretty pathetic. They have no excuse not to man their rigs appropriately. Was their another incident working at the time that took the other two on duty firefighters? Are they only running with 3 firefighters per shift now?
Roselle is getting rid of their contractors but they are hiring their own personal. Why can’t Oak Brook do the same? Especially with the tri state tollway going through their community.
#9 by Mike on April 29, 2021 - 1:08 PM
This is about as pathetic as it comes from such an affluent area. The village has money to add personnel but since they have the mindset that their public employees are just “hired help” or street people this is what happens. If I were any of the other cities that responded to this I would tell oak brook sorry, we’re not coming anymore. Man your own rigs.