Excerpts from abc7chicago.com:
A man suffered life-threatening injuries after a fire in an Arlington Heights apartment complex at 2315 E. Olive St. about 11:52 p.m. Wednesday night.
Firefighters found heavy smoke in one unit where the man was found on a couch. He was transported to a hospital with life-threatening injuries.
Residents in 48 units in the complex have been displaced. The fire has displaced 48 residents of the complex.
Excerpts from the DailyHerald.com:
A new three-year contract with the Arlington Heights firefighters union was negotiated in a day and a half and without lawyers present, village and union officials say.
The labor agreement, ratified by the union in December and unanimously approved by the village board this week, awards the 99 members of Arlington Heights Firefighters Association Local 3105 raises of 3.5% this year, 3% in 2024 and 3.2% in 2025.
Annual base salaries range from $74,290 for a new firefighter on the first step of the salary schedule to $133,010 for a fire lieutenant on the seventh step.
“I’ve been doing this a long time, and the (union) … has been the utmost professional local that I’ve ever worked with,” Fire Chief Lance Harris told the village board Tuesday night. “The support that you give us, the support that the village gives them, and the support that I try and provide them, we’ve earned their trust. And I can tell you, talking to the fire chiefs on a monthly basis, nobody settles their contracts on a day and a half of negotiations.”
Steve Schwartz, president of the local union, said the brief period of negotiations “speaks volumes to where we’re at,” describing a relationship of mutual trust and respect with the village staff and the fire department administration.
For agreeing to a new contract before the old one expired Jan. 1, firefighters received a $600 signing bonus. They also got a onetime $500 bonus in recognition for working diligently during the pandemic.
The new contract also comes with one more paid holiday, a revised fire lieutenant promotion testing process, and a new employee-only contribution retiree health savings account, in light of impending retirements.
The agreement runs through 2025.
thanks Rob
Excerpts from vah.com:
Fire Chief Lance Harris is proud to announce that the Arlington Heights Fire Department was again approved as an ISO CLASS 1 organization, following a thorough evaluation by the Public Protection Classification Insurance Services Office. Additionally, the Arlington Heights Fire Department received one of the highest scores recorded at 97.21. This is the fire departments second consecutive evaluation receiving this honor.
ISO ratings are designed to score a fire department’s ability to protect their community, with ISO CLASS 1 ranked as the highest possible class. Currently, out of approximately 40,000 fire departments nationwide, there are just over 400 departments to hold an ISO CLASS 1 rating, with only 29 in Illinois.
Key factors that contributed to the fire department improving its CLASS 1 rating score were improved record keeping, training, the fire department’s Community Risk Reduction Program, the accredited dispatch agency Northwest Central Dispatch, and the village’s water distribution system in combination with maintenance and testing of the villages fire hydrants.
thanks Martin
From the Village of Arlington Heights:
Village Manager Randall Recklaus has announced that Lance Harris has been named the new chief of the Arlington Heights Fire Department. Harris has served as fire chief for the Village of West Dundee, and the deputy chief of fire for the Elk Grove Fire Department, where he worked for 25 years in various roles. Harris is a long-time resident of Arlington Heights and will begin his role effective June 27, 2022.
Lance Harris earned his Bachelor of Science Degree in Criminal Justice from Lewis University and his Chief Fire Officer Certifications from the Office of the Illinois State Fire Marshall and the Center for Public Safety Excellence. Chief Harris is a member of the Illinois Fire Chiefs Association and the Metro Fire Chiefs Association.
From Larry Shapiro:
A few scene photos from a fire at 2619 N. Ridge Road in Arlington Heights Sunday night (1/16/22). It came in as fire in a bathroom and the first engine reported fire visible from the roof. Units on scene were from Arlington Heights, Buffalo Grove, and Palatine.
Larry Shapiro
Excerpts from the DailyHerald.com:
The 80-year-old Paul C. Strusiner who authorities say started a Jan. 7 fire that damaged several units in an Arlington Heights apartment complex was charged with aggravated arson and ordered held on $75,000 bail Tuesday. Police say he is being treated at Northwest Community Hospital in Arlington Heights for medical reasons unrelated to the fire.
The fire broke out at 12:22 a.m. Friday. Police officers and firefighters arrived to find flames coming from a first-floor unit which had a car parked in front of it. Later, officers noticed the car circling the parking lot and they approached the car, which was being driven by the defendant, and noted the front seat appeared to be melted.
The defendant told authorities he started the fire by lighting a piece of paper and leaving it on a table, prosecutors said, adding that the statements he gave police amounted to nonsensical ramblings.
Excerpts from Chicago.cbslocal.com:
A fire broke out in an Arlington Heights apartment building located at 400 West Rand Road just after midnight. Officials believe the fire started on the first floor and spread to the second floor. A total of 96 apartments were evacuated.
The Arlington Heights Police Department arrested an 80-year-old man who lived in the apartment where the fire started. Police said the man was taken into custody after making statements about the fire to police. Detectives were reviewing evidence with Cook County prosecutors, but no charges have yet been filed.
Police said, while most of the families who live in the building were allowed to return to their homes, about a third of the apartments remained uninhabitable. Police said they all are believed to have temporary housing arrangements, but the Red Crosss is providing support services.
Excerpts from abc7chicago.com:
The Arlington Heights Fire Department responded at about 8:16 a.m. to the 1900-block of North Spruce Terrace after a report of a house fire. Firefighteres entered the home and found a 75-year-old man and his 72-year-old wife. They were transported to Northwest Community Hospital and both died shortly after arriving.
The fire was brought under control by 8:44 a.m. with help from neighboring fire departments.
The fire originated in the kitchen based on preliminary evidence. The state fire marshal is involved with the investigation to determine the cause.
Excerpts from the ChicagoTribune.com:
An elderly couple died in a fatal house fire Thursday morning in Arlington Heights, the third deadly blaze in the northwest suburbs in recent weeks. Authorities identified the husband and wife as Lewis Smith, 75, and Joan Smith, 72, of the 1900 block Spruce Terrace.
They were found unresponsive in their home shortly after 8 a.m. and were transported to Northwest Community Hospital, where they were pronounced dead.
Firefighters arriving at the scene found flames coming from the roof and the windows blown out. Once inside the house, firefighters found the husband unconscious, near the top of the staircase, with his wife unconscious in a second floor bedroom. The couple was unresponsive and were unable to be revived at the scene.
A preliminary investigation found the fire likely started in the kitchen, and there were working smoke detectors in the home.
Firefighters from Arlington Heights, Palatine, Buffalo Grove, and Mount Prospect were dispatched to 1929 N Spruce Terrace in Arlington Heights around 8:20AM on Thursday (2/4/21) for a reported house fire. While en route, companies were advised that two residents might be inside and that neighbors reported hoarder conditions within the home.
Flames were confirmed on arrival by Engine 2 who took a hydrant down the street followed by Palatine Engine 83 who setup in front of the house. The fire was in the rear of the house. Firefighters entered the house to search for the residents and found two adults. Both victims received medical attention before being loaded into ambulances.
The fire was extinguished within 15 minutes and companies then chased hot spots and smoldering fire found throughout the cluttered contents.
It was reported that neither of the occupants pulled from the house survived.
Larry Shapiro photo
Arlington Heights police and firefighters were sent to 302 Ivy Lane close to 9PM Friday night (1/22/21) for a reported house fire. Engine 4 was the first to arrive and reported fire through the roof, a second floor window, and siding. They advanced a line into the house as other companies arrived. Arlington Heights Engine2, normally the second engine for this district, was initially on another assignment and Palatine Engine 83 arrived in their place and took a hydrant across the street. Buffalo Grove Tower 25 is the first truck to this area and setup in front of the address. Three lines were deployed to fight the fire which was extinguished in under 10 minutes.
Larry Shapiro photo
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