The Prospect Heights Fire Protection is proud to announce it has taken delivery of its 2020 Alexis/Spartan rescue pumper. It is outfitted with a 1500-GPM pump, a 750-gallon water tank, and 60-gallon Class B foam tank for the around-the-pump foam system. The clean cab concept was used and all PPE, SCBA, and tools will be carried in the compartment behind the cab. Only EMS gear will be carried in the cab. The apparatus sports our new appearance (all red with grey stripe and door logo) that we adopted with the 2017 and 2018 rechassis of two ambulances. The signature SQUAD 9 was adopted as it is replacing our Alexis/Freightliner squad pumper. It will carry all of the squad’s gear and will run out of Station 9. The current Engine 9 will be reassigned as Engine 39. The 2001 ALF/Alexis pumper will be placed into reserve. This will ensure that when a frontline apparatus goes down we will have a pumper with sufficient GPM capacity, 1500 feet of LDH, and 750 gallons of water serving in its place. While we originally set out to replace the 2001 ALF/Alexis, we determined that keeping it was a better option than keeping the Alexis/Freightliner with its 500-gallon tank, 1000-GPM pump, and only 600 feet of LDH. Late last year we reviewed how the new apparatus would fit into the fleet and responses, and it was determined it really is a squad and would be best at Station 9. Our officers rotate stations so they felt it wouldn’t matter which firehouse received the new apparatus.
Prospect Heights FPD photo
This apparatus was the result of a committee than began in September of 2018 and conducted meetings for about eight months before requesting proposals. In June of 2019, the proposals were opened and at the August 2019 Board of Trustees meeting the purchase was approved. Construction commenced in September 2019 and proceeded until COVID-19 shut down plant operations for a short period. After a few change orders we have finally arrived at delivery and couldn’t be happier with the final product. This is the fifth Alexis apparatus for the PHFD. Four were purchased using competitive bids. The tanker was an emergency purchase.
#1 by Drew Smith on January 15, 2021 - 12:31 PM
It would be the exception rather than the rule that we would staff TWR9 for a response in our own community. With one 3-member crew at Station 9 they will staff their pumper which is currently E9, soon to be S9.
#2 by Bill Post on January 15, 2021 - 9:54 AM
Thanks for the reply Drew. So you are really making the best of a less then ideal situation. Since you are only able to man one company at a time out of Station 9, will be manning Truck 9 only when called for on a mutual aid box alarm or will there be days the crew will be choosing to respond with the truck and you will let the engine respond from Station 39 or from a mutual aid company?
#3 by Drew Smith on January 14, 2021 - 8:38 PM
Between 1984 and 2008 the Prospect Heights Fire District staffed Squad 9. In 2008 the squad went into reserve/special call and a new Engine 9 was then staffed. In 2021 this new Squad 9 will replace Engine 9. Only one apparatus at Station 9 will be staffed. As mentioned elsewhere, the 2008 Alexis/Spartan will be reassigned from Engine 9 to be Engine 39. The 2001 Alexis/ALF will then be reassigned from Engine 39 to reserve (signature to be determined).
Some history: Since 2009 Station 39 has been a three-member jump company. Engine 39 was staffed with three members: Officer, Engineer, and Firefighter with at least two of them being paramedics. If A9 was on a call, the E39 company would jump to staff A39. All three go – no one stays back. E39 also jumps to the Crash Truck 39 when it is due on an incident. Also since 2009, Station 9 was staffed with 4-5 members plus the battalion chief. The members staffed E9 and A9 with the A9 crew jumping to either the tanker or tower ladder on fire calls. The four person (2 and 2) staffing occurred between 2015 and 2019 as a result of the 2009 recession’s effect on property values and the domino-effect it had on property taxes. As a fire protection district we are funded by property taxes (90 percent of our income) and ambulance billing fees (10 percent of our income). There are some other sources of income but they total less than one percent of our total income. By state law, those are the only ways we can create income.
Present day: Since November 2020, the PHFD has been running with a three-member jump company at each firehouse. This has reduced daily staffing from 9 to 7. It’s business as usual at Station 39 except now A39 is first due in their still district. At Station 9 it is now three members on A9, E9 (soon to be S9), or TWR9. We are unable to staff the tower and the squad simultaneously. Therefore we will rely on auto aid more often, about 2 dozen times a year, as we will only have a truck company now due on reported structure fires and not AFAs, gas leaks, etc. Tanker 9 will be staffed by the back step member of the company and will only respond with the squad on reported fires, not AFAs, gas leaks, etc.
This was made necessary due to (a) more than $300,000 of property taxes not being paid last fall and (b) the real possibility that this may occur again when the next round of taxes are due in the spring of 2020. Cook County passed an ordinance last fall to permit a penalty-free delay of the 2021 tax payments by 60 days, moving the spring due date from March 1 to May 1 and the fall date from August 1 date to October 1. This means that all the cash we have on hand must carry us until late spring while we hope all the 2021 payments are received. We have cash reserves to permit cash flow but not to make up lost revenues. It’s a question where we must wait for the answer.
I am not happy about this situation. I deliberated the matter and had multiple conversations with our command staff. We created options and this seemed to be the best one. No one has been laid off but some, particularly newer, part timers now have less hours to work each month. We continue to evaluate its effect and impact. We are two months into this program and the average weekly impact has been one call a week where auto aid that was previously not needed is now necessary. Our two main auto aid partners (Wheeling and Mount Prospect) have been supportive in this matter. The impact on them seems low. We have not reduced the amount of auto aid we are able to give anyone. I sit hopeful that come late spring we will see reductions in the pandemic’s effect and improvements in the finances of our community. All we can do is have hope and plan.
#4 by Bill Post on January 13, 2021 - 11:28 PM
Is the new Squad 9 supposed to run with the crews of the old Squad 9 and Engine 9? Will the rig will be running with a larger crew or will they eliminate the crew of the one of the companies so the rig has the same amount of manpower as before? I don’t know how many were running on Engine 9 and Squad 9 before however I understand that Engine 39 only ran with two plus a crew on Ambulance 39.
#5 by Michael m on January 13, 2021 - 7:17 AM
The color combo really is sharp on this vehicle. I personally like this better than the white over red. It turned out really nice.
#6 by crabbymilton on January 13, 2021 - 6:55 AM
Very well blended color combo there. It looks great but it seems like it’s getting harder to tell a pumper from a rescue. Wait…they combine them often.
#7 by Bill Post on January 12, 2021 - 11:41 PM
So since this new rig is replacing both the 2013 Alexis/Freightliner Squad 9 and the 2008 Spartan Alexis Engine 9 will the manpower assigned to the new Squad 9 be increased or will the manpower assigned to Station 9 be decreased as this new rig will in effect be replacing two fire companies?
#8 by Martin on January 12, 2021 - 4:57 PM
Never mind. I found the post where Chief said he’s trading it in.
#9 by Martin on January 12, 2021 - 4:55 PM
I’m not sure if someone said it but will the freightliner be sold? Why not keep it as a spare?