Excerpts from the DailyHerald.com:
The Leyden Fire Protection District at 2600 Manheim Road in Franklin Park hosted an open house on October 19 to showcase the acquisition of a new Quint and a Wheeled Coach Type III ambulance to their fleet. The purchase of this equipment was made possible by a 1.5 million bond issue voted for on the March 20 primary ballot. The referendum received an overwhelming 80% support. The ten-year bond takes effect now and will increase fire district residents’ tax bill by approximately $30 per year. The new equipment replaces a 1996 truck and a 2013 ambulance, both of which have outlived their life expectancy according to Chief Kory Ryan.
The Quint gets its name from the Latin quinque, meaning five, and refers to the five functions the unit provides: a 1,500 gallon per minute pump, a 500-gallon water tank, 1200 feet of attack and supply hose, a master aerial device, and 85 feet of ground ladders. The Quint was designed to specifications set by the firefighters that include replacing roll-up doors with hinged doors, the ability to bed hose from the ground, and a 78-foot aerial ladder. The firefighters flew to Ocala, Florida to work with E-One, the leading emergency response vehicle manufacturer.
The Leyden Fire Protection District is part of MABAS Division 20 covering unincorporated Leyden, and through a mutual aid agreement with surrounding towns they also cover unincorporated Melrose Park, Franklin Park, parts of Bensenville and Northlake. The firehouse runs three 24-hour shifts with four full-time firefighters and two paramedics per shift.
