From Dinges Fire Company on Facebook:
New Fire Apparatus Order – Byron Fire Protection District in Illinois… @toynefiretrucks Engine
Posts Tagged Byron Fire Protection District
Excerpts from byronfire.com:
This past December, Byron Fire District Chief Galen Bennett retired after 38 years of service.
Chief Bennett started his career with the Byron Fire District as a volunteer before the department had full-time firefighters. In the early years he was involved in training with Exelon Fire Brigade members working closely with the fire marshal at the plant to establish a training program for them. Galen also was instrumental in rope and vertical rescue training before most people knew there was a true need for it. He was later involved in several haz-mat training classes to help the department prepare for these emergencies. In 2007 Galen became a deputy chief and then was appointed chief of the department in 2008. On December 9th the fire department and community celebrated his retirement which he will spend enjoying golf, officiating at track meets, and time with his family. Chief Bennett has contributed very much to the department and the community. He will be missed.
Excerpts from byronfire.com:
Byron Fire District Board of Trustees Announces Interim Fire Chief
The Board of Trustees have hired Richard Kolomay to be our interim chief. He will begin his duties on January 15, 2018. Chief Kolomay is from Wheaton and comes to us with over 37 years of experience. His last assignment in the fire service was chief of the Carol Stream Fire District. Chief Kolomay currently serves as an instructor at Fire Training Resources, North- eastern Illinois Public Safety Training Academy, Romeoville Fire Academy, and Task Force 1 Inc.
He has served as a firefighter, paramedic, lieutenant, captain, acting battalion chief, deputy chief and chief. He holds a Bachelor Degree of Science in Fire Science Management from Southern Illinois University and is the recipient of many fire service honors and awards.
Chief Kolomay was born and raised in Medinah and graduated from Lake Park High School in 1976. He and his wife Lisa have four children. Chief Kolomay comes from a history of firefighters. His father served the Chicago Fire Department (CFD) for 38 years, two uncles spent 30 and 36 years respectively with the CFD, and his son is currently a CFD firefighter.
Excerpts from theSouthern.com:
The Byron Fire Protection District board gifted a 1995 truck from it’s dive response team to the Vergennes Fire Department.It was a five-hour drive for Byron Fire Protection District board member Jeff Bain to deliver the truck. Bain said the Byron Fire Protection District has a budget in the millions, thanks in large part to a nuclear power plant within their taxing district.
The budget for the all-volunteer fire department in Vergennes is only about $8,000, said Trish Sherman, who is a volunteer firefighter and EMS provider, as well as the office manager for the Village of Vergennes. She said this will be the newest truck the village owns. Other vehicles they own date back to the 1970s and 1980s. Without the generous donation of Byron’s fire district, Vergennes would not have been able to afford this truck.
Vergennes is a Jackson County community of about 300 people, about 20 miles north of Carbondale. The fire department serves the village and the surrounding areas, covering fire and emergency calls for about a 300-square-mile radius. They are often the first on the scene for medical calls and are trained to begin care while awaiting the arrival of Jackson County Ambulance paramedics, which may have farther to travel.
The Vergennes Fire Department will use its newly acquired truck as a medical response vehicle. It will also be equipped with extrication equipment. Presently, when Vergennes responds to a car accident, it requires taking both a medical unit and a fire truck with extrication equipment. But that presents a challenge if only one volunteer is available to respond immediately, as that person obviously can’t drive both vehicles.
The new unit gives the department even greater flexibility because it is air conditioned. It can be used at the scene of fires and other incidents as a place where firefighters can cool down.
The two fire departments were connected through Amboy-based Dinges Fire Company owner Nick Dinges. Amboy sells equipment to fire departments, but often helps broker exchanges between departments that have and those that need.
There are 10 volunteer firefighters serving Vergennes, and the village is always looking for more, said Matt Hardwig, assistant fire chief for the village. Hardwig, who has served with the department for 21 years, said he’s grateful for the donation and said the truck with undoubtedly be put to good use.
