This from Kevin Griffin:
The Tinley Park Fire Department responding to a car fire this morning. Ambulance 201 was in the area and reported a fully-engulfed car fire.
Kevin Griffin photo
Kevin Griffin photo
Kevin Griffin photo
Kevin Griffin photo
Kevin Griffin photo
Kevin Griffin photo
Kevin Griffin photo
#1 by Fartin' Fred on August 7, 2014 - 12:21 AM
What an UGLY ambo
#2 by Mike Mc on August 6, 2014 - 11:51 PM
IAFF needs to accept the fact that it’s members will soon run the risk of being priced out of the market. The tax base is no longer there to support the current payrolls, let alone the pensions.
Admit it, the primary mission of almost every fire department is EMS (including Chicago). The number of working fires drops every year and in the last two decades they have dropped dramatically. EMS saved jobs and companies for decades. The fire service rode the EMS tidal wave for all it was worth. Now, seven years into the great recession, the civic leaders are discovering that EMS can be provided cheaper. Maybe not as well, but it can be provided.
No one wants to hear it, but changes are going to have to occur. Departments are going to have to be more efficient, fire protection districts will have to be organized when they make sense, and you are going to have to convince the voters/tax payers that the quality that you provide is worth the additional cost – but the cost must be reasonably competitive. It can’t be two or three times as much.
I know, I know, this is coming from a lowly fan that is bitter that he never got on the job … but please consider the facts and ask yourself, how much longer can business as usual last?
#3 by MABAS21 on August 6, 2014 - 4:11 PM
I can agree with most of your statement Dennis. But the fact is, the owners of these private companies are soliciting their services to financially strapped and mismanaged suburbs, trying to entice the politicians to disband their own respective fire departments in the illusion of cost effective savings due to budget constraints, health insurance and pension obligations. For example look at North Riverside and McCook. So as the employees of these private contract companies may not be the enemies, their greedy owners are, as they try to take away full-time jobs of experienced firefighters & firefighter/paramedics. When it comes to our brothers getting laid off for political favors, kickbacks, and personal vendettas that becomes a serious issue. There has been quite a few municipalities in Division 21 that have been approached by these private contract companies.
#4 by Dennis on August 6, 2014 - 9:14 AM
All this talk about the ambulances in Tinley needs to stop. This has been like this since 1975 at least. Just now it’s a different provider. The medics on those ambulances have the same drive and knowledge of skills as any fire department ambulance personal. In fact most of your medics/EMT’s started out on the privates. A comment was made that you cant trust a private company because it’s for profit. That is the dumbest thing I have ever heard. Most of your major sporting, concert and festival events are covered by private ambulance company’s so does that mean it’s not safe to go there because they wont render you aid because there private? No it means that is what the town, city, or promoter hired to cover the EMS. All medical coverage whether it’s town or a private company is all for profit. If the patient’s insurance or medicad/medicare does not pay then there is no income to keep the ambulance going just ask any chief or owner of a company. The private ambulance company’s are still held to the same standard as all the other fire department medical personal. So your not going to get any less service just because it’s private compared to village, city, or town medical personal. The situation in McCook is 100% different then what has been going on in Tinley Park for 20+ years. If you think that McCook going to a contract for personal is new then your living in a dream world. Citgo Refinery is a Kurtz contract for all FF/PM’s so does that mean that the plant will be blowing up soon? Or everyone who works there is not safe? No it means that the company chose to hire someone to take care of it. Cicero FD all of their medic’s are contract medics so does that mean the towns people are not safe? People need to get off the high horse and look at the big picture. The employee’s of Kurtz, PSI, or any other private company are not the enemy it’s the politicians who think they are not there to serve the citizens but to line their own pockets. They mismanaged the money and now are pushing the blame off on the public service employee’s. Lets focus on the real enemy.
#5 by 0.03 on August 6, 2014 - 8:18 AM
Tom your last statement is totally asinine. Emergency services shouldn’t be like stocks and traded for different providers. Governments have this idea that outsourcing is the way to go and it’s not. It leaves everyone at the mercy of the provider and since they are for profit you can bet that the “cost savings” will disappear.
As for this bringing the unions back to talk about pensions. Here’s a little bit of info for you. The pensions are protected under the state constitution and the unions locally cannot make changes.
#6 by Tom Foley on August 5, 2014 - 11:21 PM
Yeah, Tinley and McCook are two different animals.
Personally, I like a little free market. Let the villages try out other services. They might realize their mistake and hire they own department again… or… it will make unions have to come back to the table to help reduce pension costs and the like that are killing so many municipalities.
Sure. Makes for some good conversation on this forum, but none of this is glamorous. You’re see a lot more consolidation and/or privatizing. I suspect we’ll continue to see more in the coming years, too, if pension reform can’t get figured out.
#7 by Brian on August 5, 2014 - 10:36 PM
Tinley park simply changed from one ambo provider to another. Completely different situahtion
#8 by Drew on August 5, 2014 - 9:32 PM
Kurtz Ambulance Company low balling all these depts and hospitals, I feel bad for the residents of Tinley Park and McCook….
#9 by Kevin Griffin on August 5, 2014 - 3:57 PM
213 was recently renumber from 211 because it sits at station 3
#10 by Dan on August 5, 2014 - 3:29 PM
Is 213 a reserve at station 3, or is it just 211 renumbered?
#11 by Robert on August 5, 2014 - 1:54 PM
I like that they put the town on the side of the ambulance.
#12 by Kevin Griffin on August 5, 2014 - 12:17 PM
Its the new Kurtz ambos that are in the tinley stations
#13 by Fartin' Fred on August 5, 2014 - 12:07 PM
Is THAT their ambo??