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Posts Tagged Bradley Fire Department
Bradley Fire Department News
Apr 16
Bradley Fire Department news
Mar 26
Excerpts from the daily-journal.com:
The 2023 year for the Bradley Fire Department might go on record as one of its most transitional in its history.
The 30-member department — nine of whom are full-time officers — will be moving into its approximate $2.5-million second fire station along Newtown Drive in the northeastern portion of the village. The department had hoped to be in the location more than six months ago, but supplies and finishing-touch work have delayed that target.
In addition, a $237,000 ambulance was placed on order in September with American Response Vehicles, of Columbia, Mo., and could be delivered late this year. Also, a $584,546 fire engine was unanimously OK’d by the Bradley Village Board with Alexis Fire Equipment and delivery of the department’s third engine could happen in December. The village will pay for the new engine prior to delivery, the village will receive a modest $9,000 discount, and the fire department was able to find an existing new chassis in stock at Alexis which saved another $20,000.
The new engine and ambulance will be stationed at the Newtown fire station.
Fire Chief Don Kaderabek said the department had been somewhat neglected in previous years and for a village with growing areas of business and residences, these are needed resources for the community’s protection.
Currently, the village has two fire engines. One is 21 years old and will remain part of the fleet as a back-up.
thanks Dennis
Bradley Fire Department news
Mar 11
Excerpts from the daily-journal.com:
Due to hot-running revenues in Bradley — most notably sales tax figures — Bradley may be the only municipality in Illinois to have its police and fire pension funds fully funded.
At Monday’s Bradley Village Board meeting, the board unanimously approved the request of the finance director to amend its Fiscal Year 2021 budget as a result of surging revenues which will result in a budget surplus of $4,767,431.
As a result of these positive figures, Bradley will soon transfer $1,501,894 into its fire pension fund to bring it to 100 percent funding at $3.2 million, and fully fund the $34 million police pension fund by selling $11.8 million of pension obligation bonds to fill a $10.5 million hole in the fund. These bonds are to be repaid in 20 years.
In the year of the COVID-19-induced pandemic, Bradley is bucking the trend and reaping the benefits of a strong retail base — anchored by a collection of retailers deemed essential.
Revenues have outpaced expenses at such a pace that a budget surplus of nearly $4.8 million is projected and all but $1,164,431 of the surplus is being plugged into the existing budget.
In addition to transferring $1.5 million into the fire pension account, the village board also OK’d:
• Transferring $1 million from its general fund to the capital projects fund to pay for the new fire station at 1690 Newtowne Drive.
• Transferring $600,000 to pay for police vehicles, accounting software and road improvements.
• Transferring $500,000 to pay toward the planned Lil’s Park splash pad.
Michael McCue, president of the Bradley Fire Pension Fund, was asked to attend the meeting without any knowledge as to why. Shortly after the meeting began, he was called to the front of the board room to receive an oversized check of $1,501,894 made payable to the pension account and dated March 8, 2021.
The village made changes in the way it operated, doing things such as closing its police dispatch center and going the countywide system as well as general belt-tightening.
Bradley Fire Department news
Jan 31
Excerpts from the daily-journal.com:
Three Kankakee County engineering and construction companies are seeking the project manager role for the proposed construction of a second fire station in Bradley. The selection of a project manager will likely take place within the next 30 days. The project manager will oversee the project on behalf of the village, from start to finish.
The village is looking to construct a second fire station at 1690 Newtowne Drive, the location which was at one time the home of the Bradley-Bourbonnais Chamber of Commerce office. Expected additions to the site include a 3,500-square-foot garage to house a fire engine and an ambulance so that the department can better serve the north and northeast portions of the village. Renovations are also planned to the 4,200-square-foot former chamber property, which the village has owned for about 20 years, to make it compatible for fire and public safety needs.
The village’s only fire station is located at the Bradley Village Hall complex along West Broadway Street. A recent study showed the village’s fire and ambulance response times to the north and northeast sections of Bradley are far behind industry standards.
Village leadership hopes to have the anticipated $800,000-plus project completed by late summer to early fall.
thanks Dennis
Bradley Fire Department news
Jan 15
Excerpts from the daily-journal.com:
Bradley has a new part-time assistant fire chief and that is just the first step the village hopes to be taking when it comes to transforming the fire department.
On Monday, the administration introduced Don Kaderabek, a 35-year fire veteran, who most recently had been deputy chief of the Bloomingdale Fire Protection District in DuPage County. Kaderabek, 58, began his firefighting career with the Niles Fire Department in 1985 where he served for 28 years. He had short stints with the Riverside Fire Department and the Roselle Fire Department where he served in leadership roles. With Bradley, Kaderabek will earn $40 per hour and is expected to work no more than 30 hours per week. He started with the department on Jan. 6.
Among Kaderabek’s duties will be officer development, strategic planning and cost containment, as well as improving firefighter training, recruitment, and retention.
The Illinois Fire Chief’s Association conducted a review of the department and its needs. The report will be presented to the village board on Feb. 10. This is the first review of the department since 2005, and will likely focus on the department’s need for expansion — most notably adding a second fire station.
The department has two full-time firefighters and two part timers. A department for a town like Bradley should have 10-12 members. At least a portion of the funding for fire expansion could come from an increase in the village’s sales tax rate. A referendum seeking a 1 percentage point hike in the sales tax rate to 7.25 percent is on the March 17 ballot. If approved, the increased tax rate would take effect July 1.
About six months ago, Bradley Mayor Pro Tem Mike Watson said a review from 2005 identified 26 recommendations. Of those 26, he said, 24 were designated as high priority. During the next 14 years, the bulk of the recommendations were not acted upon. The consultant will look at issues such as staffing, station location, equipment, and cooperation with neighboring departments, and dispatch.
The fire chief noted that it’s hard to recruit firefighters in Bradley and surrounding communities, and even harder to keep them because the pay is higher in suburban departments.
thanks Dennis
Excerpts from the daily-journal.com:
With the exit of its interim fire chief, the mayor said that Bradley is planning to make changes to improve the fire department, but he did not address questions about who is in charge of the department and what its relationship will be with the neighboring Bourbonnais Fire Protection District. One idea reportedly under consideration is putting Bourbonnais Fire Protection District Chief Ed St. Louis in charge of the Bradley department for the time being.
Six months ago, the village hired Jim Eggert as interim fire chief for six months, telling him he could stay another six months if the village was still searching for a permanent chief. The cost over the six months was $66,000. Eggert’s last day was Friday, yet no new chief has been named. The mayor said the village decided against renewing Eggert’s contract because of its cost.
Throughout the day Tuesday, it was unclear who was in charge of the Bradley Fire Department. At least one member of the department was under the impression that St. Louis had already taken the helm. Bradley Fire Department Capt. Kevin Goudreau, the union’s president, said he and Capt. Greg Glidewell were in charge until they were told differently. They are the department’s highest-ranking members. On Tuesday night, department employees were scheduled to meet with St. Louis and village officials. Goudreau said St. Louis may well be named the Bradley department’s chief for the time being. He said this may be part of a larger consolidation between the two departments.
Union members are not opposed to consolidation, but they feel blindsided about the village’s latest actions. If the fire department consolidates with Bourbonnais, it would require a village board vote. With six full-time employees, the department handles 3,000 calls a year, nearly doubling its workload since it became a full-time department 15 years ago. For months, the union has been negotiating with the village for a contract to replace the one that expired April 30.
Recommendations by the Illinois Firefighters Association, which assessed the department in 2005, included a significant increase in staffing, an addition of a second fire station, close cooperation with other fire departments, and improvement of software to measure performance.
Area fire departments help each other with calls. Bradley needs a lot of assistance because of its small staff, so the village appreciates Bourbonnais as a partner. But Bourbonnais wants an agreement where it would handle all calls north of Armour Road which include a higher percentage of privately insured customers, which mean higher reimbursements.
“We don’t want to turn those calls over because we would be losing revenue,” Goudreau said, and that it would be better if Bourbonnais backed up on calls regardless of the neighborhood.
thanks Dennis
This from Eric Haak:
Kankakee had a Box Alarm for a fire in a Family Dollar Store on Saturday (7/11). It was out by the time I arrived, but I took the opportunity to shoot some rigs I don’t ever get to see. The lighting wasn’t the best and it was raining, but I thought I would share the results. There were three engines from Kankakee, one each from Bradley, Limestone, and Grant Park, a tower ladder each from Kankakee and Bourbonnais.
Eric Haak photo
Eric Haak photo
Eric Haak photo
Eric Haak photo
Eric Haak photo
Eric Haak photo
Eric Haak photo
Eric Haak photo
New engine for Bradley
May 3
Kevin Griffen spotted this engine for Bradley on the Pierce website:
Bradley fire chief is let go
May 31
The Daily Journal has an article about the Bradley mayor firing the fire chief:
Nearly five years after becoming Bradley’s first full-time fire chief, Jim Baird was fired last week and replaced by his deputy.
Bradley Mayor Bruce Adams announced the change Tuesday when he appointed Deputy Chief James Travis to lead the department — but he declined to say why he made the decision.
Baird said he was called to Adams’ office Thursday morning and was told the mayor wanted to take the fire department in a new direction with a new chief.
“I tried to get an explanation, and I got nothing substantial,” Baird said.
thanks Chris
