This from Jeff Rudolph:
Bristol,WI 03/14/18
Several Illinois departments responded to Bristol ,WI for MABAS Box 52-6 to the 3rd alarm for a house fire on 177th st.
Jeff Rudolph
Jeff Rudolph photo
Jeff Rudolph photo
Jeff Rudolph photo
Jeff Rudolph photo
Jeff Rudolph photo
Jeff Rudolph photo
Excerpts from the DailyHerald.com:
The village of Antioch will join the First Fire Protection District of Antioch after resounding support Tuesday by village voters. Unofficial totals showed voters approved the measure to join the fire district 3,922 to 2,083.
The approval means Antioch no longer will contract with the district for service. Instead, village property owners will be included in the fire protection district, which also includes Antioch Township, and pay taxes directly to it. The change means a tax rate increase for village residents of about 15 cents per $100 of equalized assessed valuation, or about $90 more in annual property tax for the owner of a home valued at $200,000.
The vote allows for completion of a plan to create one fire and rescue service provider and revamp how fire and rescue decisions are made. The First Fire Protection District of Antioch will continue as the primary fire service provider and the fire district oversight board increases from three to five elected members. Supporters said long term efficiency would be enhanced.
Aug 26
Excerpts from Antiochfire.org:
The Village of Antioch and the First Fire Protection Distirict of Antioch Township together announced the appointment of Deputy Chief Jon Cokefair as interim fire chief for the Antioch Fire Department effective September 2, 2016. Chief Cokefair is a 40-year resident of Lake County bringing 28 years of fire service experience to this position. Chief Cokefair joined the Antioch Fire Department in 2007 and has serviced community’s in the fire departments of Wauconda, Round Lake, and Grayslake. Chief Cokefair has a Bachelor’s Degree in Fire Protection Administration from Eastern Kentucky University along with an Associate’s Degree in Fire Science from the College of Lake County. Chief Cokefair used his 26 years of experience as an Illinois Certified Paramedic to assist the Antioch Fire Department in establishing advanced life support engines along with a highly rated ambulance service. Chief Cokefair’s fire service experience as well as his experience as an 8-year member of the Grayslake Community High School District Board of Education has given him a strong background in the budget process and taxing finance. Throughout his career he has proven to be a sound steward of public monies. As a leader, he brings a warm personality that fosters a positive workplace that respects the value of the employee to provide exemplary service to the Antioch community.
Interim Fire Chief Jon Cokefair
thanks Dan
Apr 23
thanks Ron
Excerpts from theDailyHerald.com:
No one was injured in an early morning fire on Friday that destroyed a home near Antioch.
Detective Chris Covelli of the Lake County Sheriff’s Office said police and fire were dispatched to the 40100 block of North Deep Lake Road for a residence on fire at 1:40 a.m. The home was unoccupied and under renovation. He said a preliminary investigation shows numerous space heaters were plugged into one extension cord inside the home and that the fire is not suspicious. The Lake County Sheriff’s Arson Unit is investigating the blaze with the assistance of the Antioch Fire Protection District.
Antioch Fire Chief John Nixon said a person driving by called 911, and that fire units were on the scene within seven minutes. The house was completely engulfed in flames.
Firefighters from Lake Villa, Fox Lake, Spring Grove, Grayslake, Round Lake, and Bristol, WI assisted at the scene.
thanks Scott
Aug 17
This from Jeff Rudolph:
These run out of Antioch Sta 2
A212 is former Deerfield A20R and Squad 212 is former Knollwood S44,Jeff R
Antioch FD Ambulance 212 is a former Deerfield-Bannockburn FPD ambulance. Jeff Rudolph photo
Antioch FD Squad 212 is a former Knollwood FD engine. Jeff Rudolph photo
Excerpts from the ChicagoTribune.com:
Antioch: Reversing course from November’s failed referendum for a new property tax to fund ambulances services, 57 percent of voters in the village of Antioch responded Tuesday with votes in favor, according to unofficial results from the Lake County Clerk’s Office.
In Antioch Township, however, voting on a related ambulance services ballot question remained nearly deadlocked after 10 p.m., with “yes” votes holding 50.2 percent of the 1,726 ballots counted. All precincts were in and early votes counted, with only provisional ballots and late-arriving votes by mail unaccounted for, according to the clerk’s office. Official totals were not expected Tuesday night.
The separate referendum questions for unincorporated residents and village residents asked taxpayers to approve a .25-cent ambulance tax that would cost the owner of a home with a market value of $100,000 just over $84 a year. The need for ambulance services is the result of the Antioch Rescue Squad disbanding.
Fox Lake: Voters were asked to approve a tax for ambulance services, and in unincorporated Fox Lake they voted at a 65 percent clip in favor of the ballot question, according to unofficial results with all 16 precincts reporting.
Officials said the funds will help the Fox Lake Fire Protection District upgrade equipment, such as breathing apparatus, and tools. The district also has a fire engine and tanker truck beyond maximum age recommended by the National Fire Protection Association Standards.
Newport Township FPD: According to unofficial vote totals, the Newport Township Fire Protection District did not garner enough votes to raise its ambulance tax rate.
With all five precincts counted, 56 percent of voters cast ballots against the measure.
The district was seeking to raise its tax rate .132 cents per $100 of assessed valuation to help fund the replacement of aging equipment after the district used reserve funds to build a second fire station.
Excerpts from the Lake County News-Sun about Antioch EMS costs requiring budget cuts throughout the village.
The cost of funding emergency ambulance services in Antioch without dedicated tax revenue has resulted in deep budget cuts across the village’s departments, services and programs.
On the public safety side, trustees agreed to reduce police overtime spending by $50,000 and the fire department will close its station on Grass Lake Road, officials said. Downsizing to two fire stations is projected to save Antioch $87,900, officials said.
In addition to putting all road improvement projects and equipment purchases on hold, the budget cuts will take $24,450 from the Public Works Department, $8,865 from the clerk’s office, $38,470 from community development and $1,200 from finance. The Village Board also removed $50,000 from the budget that previously was granted to the senior center.
According to village leaders, the budget cuts are directly tied to voters rejecting a referendum in November that would have set an ambulance tax.
“There’s only so much money coming in,” Antioch Mayor Lawrence Hanson said. [He] explained that the village and the First Fire Protection District are trying to make up for the $1.5 million it costs annually for ambulance services in the village and unincorporated areas.
Another tax request referendum is planned for April and village leaders are prepared to cut another $92,410 if that measure fails. Hanson said those savings would come from administration, police, community development and finance departments. Another $100,000 will be saved by cutting employees, he said. There were 103 village employees (in 2009). Now there are 67.
Hanson said the village had a $2 million deficit when he took over as mayor in 2009. Since then, he said, the Village Board has been focused on bringing spending and revenues in line.
But that was before the village was hit by the added cost for ambulance services, created when the Antioch Rescue Squad folded.
The Fire Department previously staffed 11 firefighters on duty at all times. The cuts will reduce that number to eight — four manning each station — in covering the 36-square-mile service area.
thanks Dan
Beginning with work shifts on Monday December 1st, the Antioch Fire Department has reduced the number of personnel from 11 to 8 personnel on duty. This staffing reduction is in line with necessary budget adjustments in the wake of the failed ambulance service referendum in the Village of Antioch and the unincorporated area of the First Fire District. The immediate impact of this action is that Fire Station #3 will not have a duty crew on duty. Residents are instructed to call 911 in an emergency and avoid driving to a nearby fire station for assistance. The 8 person assignment consists of 4 duty crew members at Station #1 located at 835 Holbek Drive and 4 duty crew members located at Station #2 at 700 Deep Lake Road. Each station will respond with a fire engine or an ambulance to cover the 36 square mile service area as required by the nature of the emergency. Call back personnel will be requested to report back to duty for larger scale incidents or multiple call situations.
thanks Dan
The Daily Herald has an article about the ballot initiative for an ambulance tax in Antioch:
Voter denial Tuesday of ballot questions to establish a tax for ambulance service has officials in Antioch and Antioch Township scrambling to determine what’s next.
Immediate changes aren’t envisioned but service cuts translating to longer response times are possibilities in coming weeks or months as village and First Fire Protection District leaders explore options for continued operations. Whether voters should be asked again for support next spring is another tough question to be answered as the weight of a $2.7 million annual budget strains other areas.
“Antioch has been a cultural anomaly to have a core service that was not funded in any way by tax money. People are astounded by that fact,” Village Administrator James Keim said. “That is now a service the governments and entities that exist have to provide and there is a void in funding. It’s not easily understood.”
Voters in the village and in Antioch Township defeated questions to establish a property tax to provide ambulance service to about 27,000 residents. The measure would have raised an estimated $1.5 million the first year and cost the owner of a property valued at $100,000 an additional $835. Unofficial figures showed voters opposed the measure 2,139 to 1,925 in the village and 2,018 to 1,417 in the township.
Ambulance service for fire or rescue calls in the Antioch area since 1938 had been provided by the Antioch Rescue Squad, a nonprofit group funded by fees and donations. That changed in May when the fire protection district of Antioch did not renew the contract and decided to consolidate operations in the village and township under the Antioch Fire Department.
The Antioch Fire Department uses part-time paid-on-call firefighters and contracts for paramedic service. The department and fire district share three stations and equipment. Costs are split by the village through its general fund, which covers a variety of day-to-day operations, and the fire protection district through its cash reserves. While each entity can tax for fire operations, they need voter approval to do so for emergency medical services, which are the measures that failed, Antioch Fire Chief John Nixon said.
Operations had been expanded at the third fire station to improve response time, according to Nixon. The goal was to make that permanent and have three fully-staffed stations to cover a 36-square-mile area. But that may not be possible.
The village is in an unsustainable mode regarding revenues and overall services it provides, Keim said.
thanks Dan
For the finest department portraits and composites contact Tim Olk or Larry Shapiro.
