This from Chief Drew Smith, Prospect Heights Fire District:
Yesterday, Tuesday, March 21, Prospect Heights companies were dispatched to an auto accident with extrication on Elmhurst Road north of Palatine Road. On arrival four cars were involved. The driver of an SUV was entrapped and had to be extricated. We were assisted by Wheeling ambulances, and a Des Plaines ambulance. Two patients in stable condition were transported. Originally, a portion of the pickup’s front end was blocking the SUV’s driver door. After some work, the SUV’s driver door was removed so the patient could be taken out. The patient was stable, and trying to remove them through the passenger’s side due wasn’t the best choice due to a center console and vehicle deformity. It was decided to use the driver’s door. Excellent work by our Prospect Heights firefighters.
Prospect Heights Fire District photo
Prospect Heights Fire District photo
Prospect Heights Fire District photo
Prospect Heights Fire District photo
#1 by Mike C on March 24, 2023 - 2:06 PM
Prospect Heights has some good leadership! Unfortunately, they have been hit with limited revenue. Some may say, reduce spending. Prospect Heights has managed their money well. It’s just an unfortunate situation and I can confidently say, they’re doing their best with what they have.
#2 by Drew Smith on March 24, 2023 - 12:24 PM
We are staffing with seven currently: 3 at each firehouse and a BC. We have funding for a fourth at Station 9 and are testing to fill three full time vacancies. Our reduced staffing was a result of non-payment of property taxes during 2020 (90 percent of our budget comes from property taxes) and then members with Covid and injuries. We had four full timers out long term and spent over $500,000 on OT to maintain the reduced staffing. We have been rebuilding staff since last fall and have not had a 24 hours station closure yet this year.
I have no need to defend our current operation but am happy to answer sincere questions. If someone has an opinion of how they think things should be that’s OK and I may share that opinion too but in the end I (we) can only do what our available roster and budget will allow.
Our board is aware of the staffing. Our residents have been informed of our challenges. Our neighboring chiefs understand our situation and are supportive.
In 2022 we used a mutual aid ambulance 76 times when our second ambulance wasn’t staffed, used mutual aid another 255 times, and gave mutual aid 746 times.
We do have times when both ambulances are staffed and at the hospital resulting in no staffing on either fire company. That happens on average once every two days or 2 percent of the time. In those situations we then rely on mutual aid. To keep one engine staffed and instead of staffing a second ambulance would result in another 150 or so times we would then receive additional mutual aid.
I am faced with such decisions. I take them seriously. I gladly do so.
#3 by Jeff Marino on March 24, 2023 - 1:45 AM
Mutual aid is a great thing but should not be abused. Prospect heights closed/closes station 39 because they can’t staff it. I’d like know who is staffing the p heights still district when the ambo with 3 guys (sometimes all of heights manpower) is at Luthern in park ridge. I have talked to the guys and they said they go there often by patient request. P heights has recently done a horrible job in the manpower department. They have done a decent job on updating apparatus but those nice new rigs are useless if no one is there to drive them. If for some reason A9, A39, E39 we’re down on a call, I get using mutual aid because that’s what it’s there for. It’s not for staffing your town with out of town personnel to save money.
#4 by Mike on March 23, 2023 - 6:04 PM
Jeff brings up a good point. If you have firehouse then you should staff them. What we don’t know is if ambulance 39 was on a call already, and if they were it was smart for squad 9 to go instead of ambulance 9. If I remember right Pheights only has 7 people a day working: each house has a 3 person jump company and 1 shift commander. So in this case mutual aid was needed. A big problem Illinois departments have is most are poorly staffed. Either 1 jump company per firehouse or running 2 man fire companies and the bosses being ok with it. Over time bosses seem to forget that mutual aid isn’t for everyday runs your department can’t handle because you refuse to staff your department.
#5 by Wayne on March 23, 2023 - 5:30 PM
Good thing the other suburbs were available to assist p heights since this is a team sport and departments should be helping each other when needed.
#6 by DENNIS on March 23, 2023 - 3:04 PM
Jeff Marino, I don’t know many other departments that are able to fully staff an ambulance and fire suppression apparatus at the same time. Good job by prospect heights and wheeling with handling the pin-in.
#7 by Tom on March 23, 2023 - 2:54 PM
Is RED Center still able to be listened to via a scanner, since changing radio systems on February 1st? If so, what are the frequencies for north, and south dispatches.
#8 by Jeff Marino on March 23, 2023 - 11:03 AM
Mabas*
#9 by Jeff Marino on March 23, 2023 - 11:02 AM
Good thing the other suburbs were available to assist p heights since they can’t even staff their own ambulance and squad at the same time. Thank god for manas.