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From Lemont Fire Protection District on Facebook:

Lemont Fire Protection District Places Bond Referendum on Nov. 5 Ballot Following Minutes Matter Community Recommendation

 

August 15, 2024, Lemont, IL — The Lemont Fire Protection District (LFPD) Board of Trustees has approved a resolution to place a bond referendum focused on improving emergency response times on the Nov. 5 election ballot. The resolution follows the community’s recommendation developed during this spring’s Minutes Matter community engagement program.

 

Funding from the bond referendum would enable significant improvement in response times across the district by relocating fire stations #1 (15900 New Avenue, Lemont, IL 60439) and #3 (10801 S. Marmon Drive, Woodridge, IL 60517), renovating fire stations #2 and #4, and upgrading essential emergency equipment and supplies. It will also provide funding for ongoing training initiatives and proper firefighting gear storage to reduce firefighter/paramedic exposure to carcinogens.

 

Over the past two decades, Lemont’s population has grown by more than 200% and shifted to the southwest, increasing demand for emergency services throughout the community and in newly developed areas of the district. Currently, responding to a medical emergency can take more than eight minutes, which is longer than national standards and neighboring fire protection districts. To put this into perspective, if someone is experiencing a heart attack, brain death can occur in around six minutes, and a fire can fully engulf a home in the same amount of time.

 

Furthermore, the district’s aging fire stations lack sufficient space to house the nationally recommended number of firefighters and are inadequate for accommodating today’s emergency vehicles and equipment.

 

“We respond to more than 4,000 emergency calls annually, and the number continues to rise. This proposal will help us arrive on the scene of emergencies faster, and protect the level of emergency services our community deserves,” says Lemont Fire Protection District Chief Dan Tasso.

 

If approved by voters, the proposal will result in an additional investment of approximately $15.40 a month for the owner of a $400,000 home in Cook County and $17.45 in DuPage and Will County. For more information about the referendum, please visit LemontFire.com.