Archive for March 24th, 2014

House fire in Richton Park, 3-24-14

Mar 24

Posted by Admin in Apparatus on-scene, Fire Truck photos | Comments off

This from Dylan Konchan:

Call came in at 15:42hrs for a house fire, with people trapped on a balcony. Also one dog was still inside the house. Police got on scene reporting a fire in sector 3. Squad 32 got on scene and dropped a line, while Truck 35 made the rescue in the rear of the building. The fire was knocked quickly.

Dylan Konchan photo

Dylan Konchan photo

Dylan Konchan photo

Dylan Konchan photo

Dylan Konchan photo

Dylan Konchan photo

Tags: Alexis fire engine, Dylan Konchan, HME 1871 chassis, house fire in Richton Park, Matteson Fire Department, Park Forest Fire Department, Richton Park Fire Department, vent holes in roof for house fire

Layoffs coming to Carpentersville (update)

Mar 24

Posted by Admin in Fire Department News | Comments off

The Daily Herald has an article about a delay in laying off fire firefighters in Carpentersville:

Carpentersville has delayed the planned layoffs of two full-time firefighters while union officials discuss cuts they can make to save those jobs, Village Manager J. Mark Rooney said Friday.

“I’m very optimistic that the firefighters union will help us find a solution to avoid the layoffs,” Rooney said. This action comes after the union met with Rooney on Wednesday to discuss the pending layoffs of the firefighters who were originally going to be let go March 28. There are 32 full-time firefighters, and the two at risk of losing their jobs have the least seniority.

Rather than work with a specific dollar amount, the union will instead make cuts from its recent contract and present the proposed savings to Rooney. The village board has final say and will vote on the new fiscal year budget April 1.

The extension gives the union time to consider what cutbacks it can take. Three years ago during contract negotiations, the union agreed to several concessions so the village would not lay off three firefighters. The concessions included reduced holiday pay, no salary increase during the first year of the contract and a reduction in overtime pay.

The union last fall agreed to another employment deal, which is what’s being reviewed.

“We are actively discussing our options with our members,” said Lt. Rick Nieves, president of International Association of Fire Fighters Local 4790. “We are happy to see the village extend the timeline.”

Last month, Rooney announced staff cuts of the two firefighters and three other village employees to help plug a projected $429,000 deficit. Rooney said similar negotiations are also afoot with the union that represents the other three employees.

In the aftermath, firefighter Chris Scholl, a Carpentersville resident, publicly questioned whether the village is really in a financial bind and created an online petition to oust Rooney over what he calls his “poor management of village affairs.”

As of Friday afternoon, 114 people had signed the petition. Scholl said most of them have family members working in the village or are firefighters elsewhere.

thanks Dan

Tags: Carpentersville Fire Department, firefighter layoffs, International Association of Fire Fighters Local 4790, Lt. Rick Nieves, municipal budget deficit means layoffs, Village Manager J. Mark Rooney

Palatine Rural FPD to sell ad space on apparatus

Mar 24

Posted by Admin in Fire Department News, Fire Service News | 5 Comments

The Daily Herald has an article about a new revenue source for the Palatine Rural FPD:

[The Palatine Rural Fire Protection District] is about to become what it believes is the first fire service in Illinois to sell advertising space on trucks and ambulances … last week [they] lost a bid for a tax hike, the revenue the ads will bring is badly needed at a time when calls are increasing and property tax income is falling.

“We’re kind of in a desperate situation here,” Chief Hank Clemmensen said. “The money we get from these ads will be critical to our operation, unfortunately.” Clemmensen said the ads, which he pledges will be tasteful, will go on the sides near the rear of the Inverness-based district’s only fire truck and on the back of the district’s lone ambulance. “It’s not going to look like a race car,” he said, adding that he will have final approval on the ads.

The district is working to sell ad space through Arizona-based Public Safety Advertising, which was founded by a firefighter looking to help struggling fire departments boost revenues without having to further burden their taxpayers.

Clemmensen said he has been thinking about putting ads on his vehicles for some time as he’s watched district revenues fall but didn’t know how to get started. The district, he said, lost $300,000 alone from 2012 to 2013, a 9 percent decline.

Last Tuesday, voters rejected the proposed tax hike that would have increased revenues by $200,000. A little more than 1,100 of the district’s nearly 20,000 registered voters cast ballots on the referendum, with about 54 percent voting no.

Clemmensen said even if the tax increase had passed, he would have gone ahead with the advertising plan, which was approved unanimously by the district’s board March 10. Now the money is even more desperately needed than before, he added.

The chief said Public Safety Advertising estimated his district would get between $20,000 and $25,000 per year from the ads.

thanks Dan

Other articles about fire departments selling ad space around the country :

Tags: fire department to sell ad space on fire trucks, Palatine Rural Fire Chief Hank Clemmensen, Palatine Rural Fire Protection District, Public Safety Advertising