Posts Tagged Oak Lawn FIre Department

New ambulances for Oak Lawn

Jun 30

Posted by Admin in Ambulance photos, Fire Department News, New Delivery | 3 Comments

From the Fire Service, Inc. Facebook page:

Here are a few pics of our final inspection recently held at Wheeled Coach in Florida. The Oak Lawn Fire Department is anxiously awaiting their two new Type I F-450 Ambulances. These two units will be replacing their current Wheeled Coach Units. Med #2 and Med #3. We will post additional pictures once the outside graphics and the Stryker Power Load Systems have been installed. As always, we want to thank the department for their continued business. They have been long time Wheeled Coach and Fire Service Inc. customers.

One of two new Type I Wheeled Coach ambulances for Oak lawn. Fire Service, Inc. photo

Fire Service, Inc. photo

Tags: ambulance photos, Fire Service Inc., new ambulance for Oak Lawn, Oak Lawn FIre Department, Wheeled Coach Type I Ambulance

Fire departments share fire chief

May 27

Posted by Admin in Fire Department News | Comments off

Excerpts from the reporteronline.net:

Oak Lawn and Chicago Ridge have shared a fire chief since 2014, and by mutual agreement between the neighboring villages, Chief George Sheets will continue wearing two hats for at least four more years.

The Oak Lawn Village Board passed the new intergovernmental agreement to continue the arrangement last week without much comment, and the Chicago Ridge Village Board followed suit at its meeting on Tuesday.

Oak Lawn, being the larger community, covers two-thirds of Sheets’ salary, in addition to benefits, and Chicago Ridge is responsible for one-third. The exact salary agreement was not available this week, but it costs the Chicago Ridge about $50,000 annually. Sheets, who lives in Oak Lawn, said the agreement calls for the Chicago Ridge portion of the salary to increase by 5 percent each year.

The relationship between management and members of the firefighters union in Oak Lawn has been difficult at times in recent years, primarily due to staffing and other issues that have led to lawsuits. But everyone in Chicago Ridge seems to agree that having Sheets on board has worked out very well.

Prior to the vote on Tuesday, Chicago Ridge Fire Lt. Chris Schmelzer, president of the Chicago Ridge Firefighters Union Local 3098, sent Tokar a glowing recommendation letter regarding Sheets’ value to the department, and asked him to share it with the trustees.

Schmelzer cited several accomplishments that have been achieved under Sheets’ leadership in Chicago Ridge, including the introduction of a part-time firefighter program in which part-time and full-time staff work together. This has also allowed for the opening of the Lombard Avenue fire station. That station initially opened part-time, but was expanded to full-time this year, providing ambulance service to the main residential section of the village.

Last year, there was talk that he might leave the Chicago Ridge role after seeing projects through to completion, including the part-time program and the opening of the Lombard Avenue station.

He splits his days between the two villages, and their close proximity allows him to travel between his offices quickly.

thanks Dan

Tags: Chicago Ridge Fire Chief George Sheets, Chicago Ridge Fire Department, Chicago Ridge Fire Lt. Chris Schmelzer, Chicago Ridge Firefighters Union Local 3098, Oak Lawn Fire Chief George Sheets, Oak Lawn FIre Department

Oak Lawn Fire Department news

Apr 24

Posted by Admin in Fire Department News | 4 Comments

Excerpts from chicago.cbslocal.com:

A house explosion and fire in Oak Lawn injured two firefighters and killed pets who were trapped inside around 4 p.m. Friday at 163rd and Kedvale, alongside Interstate 57.

Neighbors say they heard a large explosion. The home owner and his family were OK, but animals inside the home were killed.

Two firefighters were hurt when they were inside the house when an explosion occurred, and they were taken to the hospital.

Cause of the fire remains under investigation.

Tags: Oak Lawn FIre Department, Oak Lawn firefighters injured battling house fire

New ambulances for Oak Lawn

Apr 22

Posted by Admin in Fire Department News, New Apparatus Order | Comments off

This from the Fire Service, Inc. Facebook page:

We are pleased to announce that the Oak Lawn FD has recently puchased two additional Type I Wheeled Coach ambulances. These new 2017 F-450 models will supplement their existing fleet of Wheeled Coach units… and will feature our “CoolBar” HVAC systems, custom interior cabinetry configuration, all LED emergency and interior lighting, as well as, numerous other custom features. Production of these two new units will begin immediately, and we anticipate completion within 60 days. We will post pictures once the units have been completed and are ready for delivery.

Tags: Fire Service Inc., Oak Lawn FIre Department, Oak Lawn orders new ambulances

Oak Lawn Fire Department news

Apr 2

Posted by Admin in Fire Department News, Fire Service News | Comments off

Excerpts from the ChicagoTribune.com:

Legislation that could turn the tide in Oak Lawn’s long-standing effort to reduce minimum manpower requirements for its fire department has again been introduced in the Illinois General Assembly.

Two identical bills introduced in the House this year — retreads of past bills that failed — would require arbitrators to give primary consideration to a municipality’s ability to fund proposals when resolving contract disputes.

Passage of a bill into law would breathe new life into Oak Lawn’s long-stated mission to reduce fire department shift staffing from 21 to 19 — a cost-cutting measure that officials say could save nearly $1 million annually on overtime without impacting public safety.

The village, unable to make headway with the firefighters union in its past two contract negotiations with the bargaining unit, has taken the issue to an interest arbitrator.

In both cases an arbitrator sided with the union, in favor of the status quo of 21 firefighters per shift.

“It is clear, based on the evidence presented, that the reason that the village wishes to reduce manning, is primarily economic, and not operational,” arbitrator Steven Bierig wrote in his Jan. 1 decision. “This is not a valid reason to obtain a breakthrough change in interest arbitration.”

When a municipality’s ability to pay for union proposals is not the primary concern, proponents of the bills argue, elected officials lose their sovereignty over the allocation of municipal finances.

An arbitrator may rule in favor of a union proposal under the premise that a city has the ability to raise taxes, dip into reserves or take out loans to pay for any cost increases, Oak Lawn Village Manager Larry Deetjen said. That is akin to stripping an elected body of its power to make the crucial fiscal decisions that should be its purview.

In January, Rep. Joe Sosnowski, R-Rockford, introduced HB797, which gives primary consideration to an employer’s financial ability to fund proposals based on existing available resources. Sosnowski said he supports reforms of the arbitration process that give decision-making control back to local authorities.

But the bill, stalled in a House subcommittee for the past month, has its detractors. At issue is the language of the amendment it makes to the Illinois Public Labor Relations Act.

The proposed amendment states that an arbitrator should not base his decision on an assumption that lines of credit or reserve funds are available or that the employer may or will receive or develop new sources of revenue or increase existing sources of revenue.

Pat Devaney, president of the Associated Fire Fighters of Illinois, said that, as written, the bill would eliminate an arbitrator’s ability to perform a comprehensive assessment of any impasse in contract negotiations. Because an arbitrator would be required to primarily base his decision on a municipality’s “existing available resources,” elected officials could simply shift funds into reserve or lower revenue levels prior to entering arbitration to create the illusion of financial hardship where it doesn’t exist, Devaney said.

“This would allow a local unit of government prior to entering into collective bargaining, even if only on paper, to lower existing revenue sources,” he said. “Now that the law is changed, (an arbitrator) couldn’t consider what was previously done or what they might do in the future in terms of increasing revenue. They could only look at a snapshot of what exists today.”

He argues that the Illinois Public Labor Relations Act is not in need of a change. The law already compels arbitrators to consider a government’s financial state when rendering a decision, albeit not as the “primary consideration as the proposed bills would require.

Oak Lawn officials reject the assertion that arbitrators already seriously consider a municipality’s ability to pay and point to the village’s own case with its firefighters as a prime example.

Skyrocketing annual pension obligations, which have more than doubled since 2013 to $5.91 million, are the primary reason that Moody’s downgraded Oak Lawn’s credit rating in February, Deetjen said.

“If we were able to get this legislative change, and change the manning for the fire department, we would take those monies into the pension,” he said, noting he thinks passage of the proposed arbitration reform bill would likely result in a credit rating upgrade for the village.

thanks Dan

Tags: Arbitrator backs union on minimum manning in Oak Lawn, arbitrator sides with Firefighter union on staffing in Oak Lawn, changes to arbitration rules proposed in Illinois, firefighters battle politicians over minimum manning, IL HB797, Oak Lawn FIre Department

As seen around … Maryland

Feb 27

Posted by Admin in Fire Truck photos | 6 Comments

The former Oak Lawn aerial that went to the Brooklyn Park Fire Department in Anne Arundel County, Maryland was spotted on the Patriot Fire Facebook page recently

Patriot Fire photo

Tags: Anne Arundel County Fire Department, Anne Arundel County Fire Station 31, Anne Arundel County Truck 31, Brooklyn Park Volunteer Fire Department, E-ONE CR100, E-ONE Cyclone II, Oak Lawn FIre Department

Oak Lawn Fire Department news (more)

Jan 19

Posted by Admin in Fire Department News | 3 Comments

Excerpts from the Oaklawnleaf.com:

While the Village of Oak Lawn and the Oak Lawn Firefighters Union had 10 disputed issues in its recent arbitration litigation the main issue of minimum manning was decided in favor of the firefighters with the village once again losing the argument for fewer employees in the fire department.

On January 1, Arbitrator Steven M. Bierig, issued a 195 page decision that found in favor of the union on minimum manning and six other issues, while finding in favor of the village on two issues and allowing the court to determine the final issue regarding out of state residency.

Minimum manning is the most hotly contested issue between the parties and has been the subject of numerous arbitration and court hearings. Bierig wrote, “After a review of the evidence and arguments in this matter, I find that the village’s proposal regarding manning is not a breakthrough and that the village has failed to meet its burden to show that such a breakthrough is appropriate. For the reasons discussed below, the union’s status quo proposal is granted.” As noted by Bierig, the party that seeks a change in the contract has the burden of proving that a change is necessary in the status quo.

Bierig cited a Will County Case and applied a long standing test stating, “Arbitrators typically apply a 3-prong test that a party must meet in order to demonstrate that a major change in the status quo is needed: 1) the old system or procedure has not worked as anticipated when originally agreed to; or (2) the existing system or procedure has created operational hardships for the employer or equitable or due process problems for the union; and (3) the party seeking to maintain the status quo has resisted attempts to bargain over the change (i.e., refused a quid pro quo).”

Despite the village arguing that the minimum manning number was in excess of what is necessary to protect the village, the arbitrator applied the three factors to uphold the number. He said the minimum manning number has worked as intended. He noted that it was uncontested that the village has been fighting fires with 21 employees on a shift. The village argued that the number should be reduced to 19 members per shift and that the number was imminently reasonable. The village presented an expert witness who testified that the village could function with three rather than four employees per engine. The firefighter’s union countered the argument noting that the system of having 21 employees has worked well for the village’s safety.

The firefighter’s union argued that the Village of Oak Lawn is obtaining excellent fire protection and the current staffing is working exactly as it was intended. Further, the union contends that the evidence shows that by implementing the plan that the village requested would be counter intuitive. According to the union’s argument, It would actually impede the ability of the village to effectively respond to fires.

As an example, the union noted that with 4 employees on an engine, one company can arrive at a fire and immediately begin to fight it. “Further, if the village’s proposal was implemented, it would require 2 pieces of equipment in order to begin to fight a fire, which is not the most efficient approach to fire fighting. By having to rely more heavily on mutual aid, it places the citizens of the village in a vulnerable position in which, at times, it must rely upon the willingness of a neighboring community to assist. This is not feasible and should be rejected.”

The union also presented an expert witness who testified that 4 employees on an engine is far preferable to 3 in terms of fighting fires. The expert explained that the fact that some departments do use 3 firefighters on an engine does not mean that 4 is not a preferable number.

The village’s argument that the change in minimum manning was a minor change was discarded by the arbitrator finding that the proposal to reduce the minimum manning number was a major modification. The opinion stated:

The union has also presented substantial evidence to show that by moving from 4 to 3 employees on an engine, the residents of the village would be placed in a vulnerable situation that would endanger lives.

Bierig noted that the amount of employees on a shift has dated back for over 24 years to 1992 when the late Mayor Ernie Kolb served in office. Bierig wrote that the change from the existing number of 21 would be “a significant departure from the existing provision” based on the long standing agreement. In finding for the union on the issue, the arbitrator stated that the village’s wish to reduce the minimum manning was based on an economic reason and not an operational issue.

The arbitrator rejected the village’s claim noting that he could not find that the existing minimum manning number created operational hardships for the village. The arbitrator also rejected the village’s long standing contention that the union has refused to address the issue at the bargaining table. Village Manager Larry Deetjen has stated many times that the union would not bargain with the village.

The union, according to the decision, contended that while the village has made proposals to the union regarding manning, those proposals were not of sufficient value for the union to seriously consider reducing the number of personnel on an engine.

Bierig referred to previous arbitration disputes between the parties and noted that Arbitrator Benn was confronted with the same issue in the prior case between these parties. Bierig wrote, “In rejecting the same issue, he held: The village seeks a sea change to the manning system – specifically, the ability to reduce minimum manning from four to three employees on an engine, i.e., a 25% reduction – when the system has been in place for 20 years and was formulated with the mutual intent ” … for purposes of efficient response to emergency situations and for reasons of employee safety… ” with a mandate that if those agreed upon levels are not met, ” … employees shall be hired back pursuant to Section 6.4. ‘Overtime Distribution’” as expressed in Section 7.9(a) of the Firefighter Agreement [emphasis added]. The village does not seek this sea change because the manning system is operationally broken. Rather, the village seeks this sea change because the manning system is costly. That is not a basis for an interest arbitrator to change such a safety provision as important as minimum manning. Where one party (here, the union) seeks to maintain the status quo and there is no demonstration by the party seeking the change (here, the village) that the system is broken, that kind of change must come through the bargaining process.”

The union won 7 issues outright, while the village won 2 of the disputed issues. One issue, regarding out of state residency will be decided by the courts in February. The village’s offer on wages was accepted. The village’s proposal on extra duty pay and responsibilities to keep the status quo in the contract was also accepted by the arbitrator.

thanks Dan

Tags: arbitrator sides with Firefighter union on staffing in Oak Lawn, fire department fights staffing cuts, fire department staffing levels, Oak Lawn FIre Department

Oak Lawn politics in the news (more)

Dec 9

Posted by Admin in Fire Department News | Comments off

Excerpts from the Oaklawnleaf.com:

What went wrong in less than one year’s time that had the Village of Oak Lawn going from pounding its chest and claiming it was going to terminate an employee to protect the safety of the public and then signing an agreement admitting its own wrongdoing?

The answer is found in a quietly signed side agreement between village officials and the Oak Lawn Professional Firefighters Association Local 3405 IAFF. The six page document settles a dispute between the firefighters union and the village for allegedly illegal actions taken by village officials.

A very public employee discipline case came full circle with the village issuing a press release alleging phone sex, theft of union funds and sexual harassment and then inexplicably a year later writing a check for $100,000 to the very same employee with the agreement that he would retire.

According to sources familiar with the litigation between the Village of Oak Lawn and the firefighter and the union, the Village of Oak Lawn turned a minor discipline case into a full fledged witch hunt using questionable and perhaps illegal means to secure information.

The result after a year, according to the same sources, was that the Village of Oak Lawn was unable to fire the firefighter/paramedic in question based on the evidence, without facing legal repercussions for administration officials.

The union’s legal representatives seized upon the village administration’s improper overreaching and insisted on a side agreement in which the union was not required to bargain away anything other than the resignation of one firefighter who received a payout of $100,000, while maintaining his pension benefits, and a strong letter of reference.

According to sources familiar with the village’s misconduct, village administration officials attempted to videotape an employee discipline interview with firefighter/paramedic Robert Lanz even though villages are not authorized under state law to do so. The village has agreed that it will not videotape any fire department employees in the future.

Just as damning, according to our sources, the village attempted to conduct a criminal investigation of the union using the Oak Lawn Police Department and the Cook County State’s Attorney to investigate charges of the theft of union funds even after union officials did not ask for such an investigation. The village agreed that it will not interfere in the internal administration of the union in the future.

The same village officials ordered firefighter/paramedic Robert Lanz to produce his private cell phone and other personal records through subpoena power that the village does not have by state law. The side agreement provides that the village cannot take such action in the future and the village now admits in the agreement that it does not have such power.

In the Lanz case, the firefighter/paramedic produced personal records after being threatened with termination if he failed to cooperate. The village is now agreeing in the side agreement that it can no longer threaten fire department employees with discipline for failing to comply with such threats. The agreement also makes the union representatives part of any disciplinary process and adds an arbitrator to decide issues that can’t be agreed upon.

Lanz had been accused of using his cell phone to call sex phone lines and the village issued a press release to that effect about a year ago. A local blogger printed the release along with photos of someone who allegedly was called. Lanz denied the charges. According to our sources, the village did not have any legal right to even search the cell phone records. Firefighters and paramedics are at the fire station for 24 hours straight with 48 hours off thereafter. The union had contended that there was no prohibition against using one’s cell phone while at the station.

Now, the village has admitted in the document that it shall not violate anyone’s constitutional rights to privacy and that fire department staff are not currently prohibited from using cell phones while at the station.

The side agreement is a stunning admission by the village that Mayor Sandra Bury’s administration overstepped its authority and violated various fair labor laws. In addition to Lanz filing multiple actions against the village, the union had maintained a separate action which resulted in the side agreement.

The village and firefighters union has had a contentious relationship with Mayor Sandra Bury and Village Manager Larry Deetjen, who have supported reducing the number of employees on a shift. In typical collective bargaining agreements each side must give something in return as part of a bargain.

Mayor Sandra Bury told the Daily Southtown that the terms of the agreement with Lanz left her somewhat hamstrung to articulate the village’s case against Lanz and its decision to settle with him but she implored taxpayers to trust that the board had acted in their best interest.

She is quoted in the Daily Southtown speaking about the Lanz settlement and failing to mention the side agreement:

Not everything is as it seems,” she said. “(Taxpayers) have to be confident that we acted in their best interest on this financially. There’s no benefit to the other path for the taxpayers. What’s important is closure and moving on for all parties.

However, our source said, “they (Deetjen and Bury) screwed up so badly, that they had to sign away everything and promise not to do it again.” The same source said that the Bury and Deetjen team did not want this information made public. The Oak Lawn Leaf received the agreement through a Freedom of Information request.

thanks Dan

The full side agreement can be downloaded -> Oak Lawn side agreement

Tags: Bob Lanz, chicagoareafire.com, dispute with firefighter in Oak Lawn, Firefighter/Paramedic Robert Lanz, International Association of Firefighters Local 3405, Oak Lawn FIre Department, Oak Lawn Professional Firefighters Association Local 3405 IAFF, Robert Lanz, village manager accuses firefighter of inappropriate action while on duty, Village Manager Larry Deetjen, Village of Oak Lawn, village officials in Oak Lawn overstep authority with firefighter

Oak Lawn politics in the news (more)

Dec 3

Posted by Admin in Fire Department News | Comments off

Excerpts from the ChicagoTribune.com:

An Oak Lawn firefighter who was dismissed in February after being accused of on-duty misconduct has reached a six-figure settlement agreement with the village over his termination.

Robert Lanz, a 15-year veteran of the Oak Lawn Fire Department, will receive a combined $100,000 — $42,040 for his accrued paid time-off benefits and an additional sum of $57,960 — and have all records of being disciplined over the allegations rescinded and removed from his personnel file, according to the terms of the agreement.

He will be considered to have resigned Feb. 16, rather than terminated, and will be entitled to collect his accrued paid time-off benefits, which had been specifically designated for him, as a result, village officials said.

While village officials continue to contend that Lanz engaged in on-duty misconduct, they said they opted for a pragmatic resolution of the issue to avoid further expensive and time-consuming litigation.

Officials said they felt confident in the village’s ability to prove its case but that if an arbitrator were to reinstate Lanz under the “just cause” standard, which protects against arbitrary or unfair termination, the financial consequences — like providing back pay and continued health insurance and pension obligations — would have been significant, likely in the high six figures.

Lanz, a onetime International Association of Firefighters Local 3405 union officer, came under scrutiny last year after being accused of misappropriating union funds for personal use, court records show. The Cook County sheriff’s office investigated the allegations but did not pursue criminal charges.

However, when village officials reviewed an audit of the firefighter union’s expenses performed as part of the sheriff’s investigation, they found numerous unsupported (phone) charges were attributed to Lanz, Village Manager Larry Deetjen said in a sworn court statement. Many of the charges Lanz incurred stemmed from two businesses that offer phone sex services and appeared to have happened at times when he was on duty, Deetjen said.

As a result, the village conducted a multiweek investigation into Lanz’s actions and ultimately fired him in early February for violations of multiple departmental rules and regulations.

He denied any wrongdoing and filed a grievance contesting his termination.

“All they have are some records, and they have no other information other than what they’ve interpreted records to mean,” Lanz’s then-attorney Patrick Walsh said last December.

Walsh, who claimed the village’s case was based on speculation, attributed his client’s dismissal to his involvement with the union.

In addition to agreeing not to speak ill of Lanz and his tenure in Oak Lawn, the village also provided him a reference letter that notes his good operational skills as a firefighter-paramedic, as part of the settlement agreement.

Mayor Sandra Bury, who said the terms of the agreement left her somewhat hamstrung to articulate the village’s case against Lanz and its decision to settle with him, implored taxpayers to trust that the board had acted in their best interest.

“Not everything is as it seems,” she said. “(Taxpayers) have to be confident that we acted in their best interest on this financially. There’s no benefit to the other path for the taxpayers. What’s important is closure and moving on for all parties.”

thanks Dan

Tags: Bob Lanz, chicagoareafire.com, dispute with firefighter in Oak Lawn, International Association of Firefighters Local 3405, Oak Lawn FIre Department, Robert Lanz, village manager accuses firefighter of inappropriate action while on duty, Village Manager Larry Deetjen, Village of Oak Lawn

Oak Lawn Fire Department news

Nov 1

Posted by Admin in Fire Service News | 1 Comment

Excerpts from the OakLawnleaf.com:

Oak Lawn’s First 2017 Budget Proposal Cuts Fire Department

Oak Lawn’s Board of Trustees held their first budget meeting October 25th for the 2017 village budget. Official documents show a reduction in Fire Department payroll.

According to the proposed budget for 2017, Oak Lawn Fire Department’s personnel salaries would be cut by $239,218. This comes a year after cutting a projected $397,594 from OLFD salaries.

These cuts would be made by not replacing personnel who have left the fire department. Since 2012, the fire department staffing level has been cut by 10%. Village Manager Larry Deetjen has had a long-standing policy of not replacing fire department personnel lost through attrition. Under Deetjen’s direction, the village has also pursued litigation against fire department personnel in order to force them off the payroll.

The village budget includes $2,000,000 for fire department overtime. The same amount was budgeted for 2016, but had already been nearly exhausted with 3 full months left in the year. The fire department overtime expense is projected to overrun its budget by $465,518 this year. The overtime has become a necessity, as under-staffing the fire department forces the village to pay firefighters overtime to cover minimum staffing levels.

As the Leaf has previously reported, this is a strategy that does not make good fiscal sense.

In a Chicago Tribune Daily Southtown article, published July 22nd, it is stated, “According to an analysis performed by Oak Lawn’s finance director, the gross lifetime cost of hiring a firefighter at age 22 who goes on to work for 30 years, retires and lives another 30 years post-retirement is approximately $7.5 million.”

Interestingly, using the $7.5 million figure cited by village officials, the cost of a firefighter actually comes out to about 50¢ per month per household. That’s less than 2¢ a day. Instead of paying $3 million in overtime, the village could use that money to hire two dozen more firefighters, virtually eliminating overtime while safely and efficiently staffing its fire engines.

With staffing levels projected to be slashed further, overtime will become even more necessary. Budgeting staffing level cuts has not proven to reduce total expenditures. Will the board of trustees learn from its past failures?

thanks Dan

Tags: Oak Lawn FIre Department, Oak Lawn Village Manager Larry Deetjen