Excerpts from the ChicagoTribune.com:
Voters appear to have given the City of Highwood the go-ahead to dissolve the fire department so fire protection and paramedic services can be turned over to neighboring Highland Park.
At just after 9 p.m., with nearly 1,000 votes cast, the referendum question had 70 percent voting yes and and 30 percent voting no, according to unofficial Lake County election results.
The cities reached a 30-year agreement last fall for the Highland Park Fire Department to serve Highwood, a city of less than one square mile that is surrounded on all sides by Highland Park.
The deal hinged on Highwood voters agreeing to dissolve the local fire department in the March 15 referendum. If the referendum officially passes, Highland Park is scheduled to take over fire and paramedic services on July 1.
“This partnership will not only provide lasting financial benefits while maintaining high service levels,” Highwood Mayor Charles Pecaro said. “But also can become a model for municipalities seeking to share services with their neighbors.”
Highland Park’s Fire Station 34 at 1100 Half Day Road is located a few blocks west of Highwood’s western border, and the department already responds to many Highwood fire calls under automatic and mutual aid agreements.
Highland Park does not plan to hire any additional firefighters or paramedics, or acquire any additional equipment, saying its current staffing and equipment are sufficient.
Under the agreement, Highwood will pay Highland Park $625,000 the first year for fire and paramedic services, along with fire inspections. Annual increases will be tied to inflation, but capped at 5 percent.
Highwood expects to cut its current fire costs of $1.3 million by more than half under the arrangement.
Highwood Press Release:
March 15th Referendum Passage
The proposed Highwood & Highland Park fire and ambulance service partnership referendum that was included on the ballot passed yesterday. Voters confirmed the agreement that was unanimously approved by the City Councils of both Highwood and Highland Park to provide shared services to residents.
“This decision was not taken lightly by the City’s staff, elected officials or the Highwood voters,” said Scott Coren, Highwood’s City Manager. “Its passage shows residents’ confidence in Highland Park’s internationally accredited fire department. Their outstanding service levels, combined with the significant positive financial impact for both communities made this a prudent decision.”
In June 2014, the State of Illinois passed a law that requires municipalities to go to referendum, with specified language, to consolidate or provide shared fire and emergency medical services. The language is clearly slanted to push residents to vote against it. Highwood is the first municipality in Illinois to successfully pass this referendum question despite facing these obstacles.
“We are pleased to have the opportunity to extend Highland Park’s exceptional fire, EMS and fire inspection services to the City of Highwood. We remain committed to providing high quality public safety services to both communities at all times and we will continue to keep public safety as one of our core priorities,” stated Ghida S. Neukirch Highland Park City Manager.
Thank you to everyone who provided their feedback on the matter.
Charles Pecaro
Mayor
City of Highwood
#1 by Bill Post on March 20, 2016 - 12:47 PM
Under the current system on an initial or still alarm, HIghwood Illinois gets Truck (Quint) 37 Ambulanc 37 and Highland Park Engine 34 and Ambulance 34 dispatch. If smoke is reported showing and a Code 3 response is required then Deerfield Squad (Engine) 19 and Lake Forest Tower Ladder 421 are also dispatched in addition to the HIghwood Chief. If the alarm is escalated to a working fire or a Code 4 then both Northbrook and Winnetka each dispatch an Engine company and both Knollwood and Lincolnshire each dispatch a Truck company plus Northfield dispatches their Squad/Pumper 29 as the RIT company and Wilmette dispatches an Ambulance and Lake Forest dispatches a Chief as RIT companies. Highland Park dispatches a Chief and Deerfield dispatches a “Safety”Chief” as well. Highwood calls back off duty personnel and Lake Bluff has an Engine change quarters to Highwood.
I don’t know what the new arrangement will be when the Highwood fire department disbands however. Their current system isn’t bad considering that 2 Trucks and 2 Engines are dispatched on a CODE 3 (structure fire) and 2 more Engines 2 more Trucks plus a Squad is dispatched on CODE 4 (working fire). I hope that they get that good of a response on the new system when Highland Park takes over.
#2 by Bill S on March 18, 2016 - 7:46 PM
Highland Park is taking highwoods ambulance. They want nothing else. Station 37 will be gone and the city will probably sell the property. Highwood only has one full time member left, highland park is working on absorbing that member. All other part time staff will lose their jobs. Not sure what type of auto aid agreements Highland Park will have with communities surrounding highwood. It’s sad, a department that’s been around for a long time – gone……
#3 by Jim on March 18, 2016 - 8:46 AM
What is happening with the Highwood firefighters and paramedics?
#4 by DMc77 on March 17, 2016 - 11:52 PM
So if HIPK E34 is committed somewhere in HP or HW, and an EMS or fire call come in for “downtown” Fort Sheridan, the next closest response will come from HIPK 33 or 32?
#5 by Bill Post on March 17, 2016 - 10:10 PM
Yes that’s a good point Mike. I don’t see why Highland Park shouldn’t just keep Highwood’s station and make it part of a combined Highland Park/ Highwood Fire Protection district. I assume that you mean Truck 33 would be a stand alone quint as the main reason that Highwood Truck 37 was a stand alone company is because it was really used as a quint that could be used as a engine or a truck?
#6 by Mike on March 17, 2016 - 9:56 PM
My question is this. 34’s and 37’s would back each other up on runs. Now that 37’s are going to be gone, what happens. Maybe in the future they can do something like an ALS engine at 37’s and put truck 33 back into service as a stand alone company since truck 37 was usually the truck highland park would get. This should be interesting to see HP handle the additional 1000 runs a year with the same staffing.