Posts Tagged Rutland-Dundee Fire Protection District

West Dundee Fire Department news

Excerpts from the DailyHerald.com:

West Dundee is searching for a new fire chief after a potential deal to share the leadership position with a neighboring entity fell through. The village board recently approved a $19,250 contract with GovHR USA to help find a replacement for Chief Randy Freise when he retires in the next two to three months. Initiating the recruitment process is a change of plans for West Dundee officials, who had been working toward a joint fire management services agreement with the Rutland-Dundee Fire Protection District.

The intent was to have Rutland-Dundee Chief Richard Thomas take over the leadership of both departments after Freise’s departure. He announced his retirement in August 2018, but agreed to stay on until negotiations were finalized. But before a deal was reached, Rutland-Dundee officials informed West Dundee in late September that they were no longer interested in pursuing the shared chief option — a decision made largely out of concern that Thomas would be spread too thin.

The recruitment process is expected to take 60 to 90 days. It will include an initial review of applications and a first round of interviews before narrowing the pool to three or four finalists. The final candidates would then be interviewed by village staff members and trustees. The job posting lists the position’s annual salary at $102,000 to $124,000, depending on qualifications.

Starting in 2017, Freise also spent two years overseeing both West Dundee and the East Dundee and Countryside Fire Protection District as part of their ongoing consolidation efforts. East Dundee fire board members eventually decided to terminate the agreement for budgetary reasons.

The two departments, as well as Rutland-Dundee and Carpentersville, have taken strides the past several years to share resources, unify training programs and standardize operations.

thanks Ron

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Rutland-Dundee Fire Protection District news

Excerpts from the DailyHerald.com:

A judge recently sided with the Rutland Dundee Fire Protection District in terminating a contract to provide fire and ambulance services to about 30 houses in the West Dundee Fire Protection District.

Rutland officials sued in spring 2018, arguing its residents unfairly subsidized emergency services to the houses in the West Dundee fire district by paying three times what those residents pay, and that the agreement was last changed by board members who are no longer in office.

A Kane County judge ruled in favor of Rutland last week and gave West Dundee fire district officials until the end of April to strike a deal for new fire protection services.

According to the suit, Rutland and the West Dundee Fire Protection District signed an agreement in November 2004 to have Rutland provide fire and ambulance services for a yearly cost of $7,500. The West Dundee Fire Protection District covers a group of luxury houses off Frontenac Drive and Boncosky Road, just west of Route 31, and is a taxing body that exists only on paper. Under state law, it may contract for fire and ambulance services.

The initial deal was extended in May 2016 to run through April 2020, but the judge ruled changes to the contract could not bind future members of the Rutland board.

“The rate generated by the levy when extended against each parcel of property, creates a tax burden on the residents of Rutland-Dundee that is three times the burden imposed on the residents of West Dundee,” read part of Rutland’s argument in favor of terminating the contract.

The West Dundee Fire Protection District previously struck a deal with the Village of West Dundee for fire services in the early 2000s, but it signed the 2004 deal with the Rutland Dundee Fire Protection District when the village asked to increase the contract.

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West Dundee Fire Department & East Dundee and Countryside Fire Protection District news (more)

Excerpts from the ChicagoTribune.com:

West Dundee is forging ahead with efforts to consolidate local fire departments. Trustees voted 4-1 to continue discussing a possible intergovernmental agreement with the Rutland-Dundee Fire Protection District that would have both departments working under one management team.

Monday’s discussion follows on the heels of the East Dundee and Countryside Fire Protection District’s decision to terminate an intergovernmental agreement with West Dundee that was approved in 2016 and had West Dundee Fire Chief Randy Freise taking the helm of both departments which began Jan. 1, 2017.

The agreement called for the cost of the chief position to be shared equally by each village. In terms of hierarchy, the East Dundee Fire Protection District’s deputy chief began reporting to Freise, and Freise reported to both the West Dundee village manager and the East Dundee Fire District board. West Dundee officials had hoped the two agencies could then work with Rutland-Dundee in coordinating joint fire management services.

But citing budget concerns, the East Dundee and Countryside Fire Protection District board voted in September to give 90 days notice of its intent to opt out of the agreement.

The proposed structure for the new joint fire management services concept would include utilizing the existing management staffs of the two departments, as well as the creation of a three-member board, with one member from Rutland-Dundee, one from West Dundee, and one to be agreed upon by the respective elected officials of both organizations, to serve as an oversight committee.

The chief and deputy chief would report directly to the board in regards to operations and day-to-day management issues, and the individual board members would report back to their respective full boards. West Dundee’s village manager would also serve as an ex-officio member to aid the fire staff in its day-to-day responsibilities.

The discussion does not exclude Carpentersville, which has been part of the effort in recent years to share resources and standardize operations. Carpentersville has expressed its desire to further evaluate the concept and leaders from both villages plan to meet in the coming weeks to discuss it.

Several West Dundee board members expressed their support for moving the concept forward for discussion.

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Rutland Dundee Fire Protection District news

Excerpts from the DailyHerald.com:

The Rutland Dundee Fire Protection District wants a judge to terminate a contract it has to provide fire and ambulance services to about 30 homes in the West Dundee Fire Protection District.

In their lawsuit, Rutland officials argue its residents are unfairly subsidizing the fire and ambulance service by paying three times what the West Dundee residents pay and that the agreement, originally approved in 2004, was last changed by board members who no longer are in office.

According to the suit, filed in Kane County, Rutland and the West Dundee Fire Protection District, signed an agreement in November 2004 to have Rutland provide fire and ambulance services for a yearly cost of $7,500. The West Dundee Fire Protection District is a group of luxury homes off Frontenac Drive and Boncosky Road just west of Route 31 and is a taxing body that only exists on paper. Under state law, it may contract for fire and ambulance services.

Tom Gilbert, West Dundee Fire Protection District attorney, said Rutland should honor the deal, which runs until April 2020. The agreement has been updated over the years, but Rutland has been taxing its residents the maximum under the Property Tax Limitation Act, or tax cap, and Rutland residents are paying a rate effectively three times the amount paid by West Dundee Fire Protection District residents.

“It is the deal they made,” Gilbert said, noting the original $7,500-a-year pact has been adjusted for inflation over the years and is now about $12,000. “Our plan is to stick to the agreement.”

Also, the suit argues, all of the Rutland fire trustees who signed off on the contract and subsequent changes to it are no longer on the board so the current board is not bound by it.

If a judge terminates the deal, numerous scenarios could come into play — the two most immediate being the West Dundee Fire Protection District may contract with another district for services or sign another deal at a higher annual cost with Rutland.

West Dundee Fire Protection District officials used to contract with the village of West Dundee for fire services in the early 2000s, but when the village asked to increase the contract, they signed the 2004 deal with Rutland.

The two sides are due in court on Aug. 13.

thanks Ron

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Rutland Dundee FPD history

This from Doug Hoyt:

Following up on the Alsip front-mount “bumper pumpers”, here are a few photos of some Division 2 rigs from the early / mid 80’s.  One is Rutland-Dundee Engine 52, a 1961(?) International, one is Rutland-Dundee Engine 57, a 750 gpm Ford/Darley with a 2000 gal. tank. Sorry that the photos aren’t the best quality; I wasn’t the greatest photographer back then, and some of the pictures got cut off in the printing.  (Still looking for the negatives.) Thanks for the chance to share these!
Doug Hoyt…

Vintage photo of Rutland-Dundee FPD Engine 52

Rutland-Dundee Engine 52. Doug Hoyt photo

Vintage photo of Rutland-Dundee FPD Engine 57

Rutland-Dundee Engine 57. Doug Hoyt photo

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Fire departments to share resources

Excerpts from the ChicagoTribune.com:

The Carpentersville, East Dundee, Rutland, and West Dundee fire departments have agreed to share expenses for equipment that will be used for incidents involving hazardous materials, water, and technical rescues, and special investigations in all four areas.

Rutland’s decommissioned squad will carry needed equipment and be housed at one of the Carpentersville fire stations.

“Carpentersville is firmly committed to the implementation of interdepartmental cooperation with the possible goal that at a future date we will merge the departments to provide economies of scale through better use of equipment, better use of staff, shared leadership and creative new ideas,” said Carpentersville Village President Ed Ritter.

According to West Dundee Fire Chief Randy Freise, Carpentersville Fire Chief John-Paul Schilling has offered to send personnel as needed for the special-incident teams and will coordinate with all other fire departments.

A committee of representatives from the four departments has met. Their plans include that initial crews from each department will respond to incidents, with the special-teams vehicle used as an additional resource for large incidents when needed,” said Freise.

This is an excellent way to combine resources for the betterment of the community. According to the agreement, the four fire departments involved will be sharing expenses associated with equipping, maintaining, insuring and storing the squad. It will remain titled in the name of Rutland-Dundee.

With smaller communities in the Rutland Dundee Township Fire Protection District like Sleepy Hollow struggling to make ends meet, this agreement could be the start of continuing partnerships with larger municipalities to provide shared services.

thanks Dan

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Rutland Fire Protection District news

Excerpts from the ChicagoTribune.com:

In a press release, Rutland-Dundee Fire Protection District Fire Chief Richard Thomas said the department’s Insurance Service Organization (ISO) rating has gone from a 4 to a 2.

The 2 rating awarded to Rutland-Dundee has been achieved by only 2.76 percent of fire departments throughout the nation, according to 2015 numbers. Of the 48,632 fire departments rated by ISO, only 1,343 have received a rating of 2 or better.

“Our firefighters and officers have worked hard to address all of the intricacies associated with the rating system and to identify how our resources can best be used to assure the biggest return on the investment made by taxpayers,” Thomas said. “This rating is also dependent on the performance of organizations beyond our department. A big factor in this rating was the commitment of the Village of Sleepy Hollow and the Village of Gilberts to upgrade their water systems.”

He also credited Quadcom 911 — the district’s dispatch center — and its board for helping achieve the rating.

The ISO rating is based on a wide variety of factors that assess how a fire department’s capabilities curtail the risk of loss by fire, explosion or other casualty, as well as the level of training received by department personnel, the type and condition of firefighting equipment, and the reliability and availability of a water supply for firefighting purposes.

Response times, which are dependent on the placement and availability of firefighting personnel and the location and staging of firehouses and equipment in relation to the structures they protect, is also factored into the rating.

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Fire department consolidation proves complex

Excerpts from the ChicagoTribune.com:

Citing nearly impossible legal hurdles at the state level, the Carpentersville Fire Department, East Dundee Fire Protection District and West Dundee Fire Department will not seek a complete consolidation at this time.

However, the fire chiefs do agree it should be a goal for the future. “It doesn’t mean we’re stopping and just not doing anything,” West Dundee Chief Randy Freise said. “We’re just not jumping in all at once. We’re breaking it down into smaller pieces.”

In November of 2014, members of the Carpentersville Village Board, East Dundee and Countryside Fire Protection District Board, and West Dundee Village Board shared the $30,908 expense to initiate the study by Emergency Services Consulting International. In October of this year, results from that in-depth study concluded consolidating fire services would make sense.

However, Freise said during a presentation at Monday’s board meeting, when the fire chiefs were tasked with analyzing the study and discussing the results with their respective boards “we came to the conclusion a complete legal consolidation at this time would be too difficult to do.”

Freise said a state law passed in the last year and a half requires more hurdles in order to make consolidations possible. “Now we have referendums and court appearances and all these different things we have to do in order to do this,” he said. “It kind of takes the decision away from the local boards and makes it much more difficult.”

They plan to keep working toward the ultimate goal of a potential full consolidation. That includes the possibility of forming work groups represented by members of each department and municipality and tasked with developing a regional approach to providing the best outcome, and a regional board that would include a fire chief from each of the respective towns and a trustee from that town to consider the recommendations of the work groups.

The fire chiefs are also meeting with Sen. Karen McConnaughay this month to discuss the roadblocks in state law considering consolidation, Freise said. “One of our goals is to meet with local legislators to make them aware the state is making it more difficult and to see if we can’t change the legislation and make it more streamlined,” he said.

Freise said in the last few weeks he has also heard from the Rutland-Dundee Township Fire Protection District chief who is interested in joining the conversation of a possible future consolidation. “A big piece of our regional puzzle that has been missing from the onset is participation of Rutland-Dundee Township Fire Protection District,” he said. “Through all of this we’ve continued to work closely with them and will most likely continue to do so in the future, no matter what it holds.”

More can be found HERE, and HERE

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New area ambulance deliveries

Ron Wolkoff found the following new Horton ambulance deliveries on the Foster Coach Facebook page:

Two new ambulances on International chassis with Horton bodies for Arlington Heights

Arlington Heights FD ambulance

Foster Coach photo

Arlington Heights FD ambulance

Foster Coach photo

A new Horton ambulance on a Freightliner chassis for the Rutland-Dundee FPD

Rutland-Dundee FPD ambulance

Foster Coach photo

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Talks progress towards consolidating fire department services

The Courier-News has an article about the consolidation talks between the Carpentersville and West Dundee Fire Departments:

As talks continue on the possibility of Carpentersville and West Dundee consolidating fire services, local officials are eager to keep the momentum going.

To that end, West Dundee board members authorized village staff Monday to develop a request for proposal to determine the cost of an in-depth study on consolidation.

West Dundee Village President Chris Nelson said an outside entity can help officials “evaluate the prospect of the consolidation because it is a very complex issue.”

The scope of the possible consolidation has also broadened, with both East Dundee Fire District and Rutland-Dundee Township Fire Protection Districts showing an interest. Efforts are underway currently to take steps toward a more functional consolidation, where the fire department districts would remain separate but work together more in responding to incidents and purchasing equipment.

West Dundee Chief Randy Freise told village officials that Carpentersville has agreed to provide battalion chief coverage in West Dundee for all structure fires, vehicle accidents with extrication, and major incidents at Spring Hill Mall.

Freise also plans to meet with East Dundee Fire Chief Steve Schmitendorf and Carpentersville Deputy Chief John Skillman to discuss the possibility of sharing a training officer.

Nelson said having consistent training not only saves money but also makes sure firefighters are working together and operating as a team.

“Not just for the village of West Dundee but for the other departments and taxpayers,” Nelson said. “Our ultimate goal is to enhance the service level in an affordable way. It’s great we’re able to move the ball on this.”

thanks Dan

Previous posts are HERE and HERE.

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