Posts Tagged Elk Grove Township Fire Protection District

Elk Grove Township Fire Protection District news

Oct 1

Posted by Admin in Fire Department News | 1 Comment

The IFCA has been notified of the passing of Chief Gary Jensen, Ret. Elk Grove Township Fire Protection District

#chicagoareafire.com; #ElkGroveTownshipFPD; #obituary; #GarySJensen;

Funeral Services

Visitation will take place at Cantigny Park, Le Jardin, on Friday, October 10, 2025 between 11am and 12pm.

A memorial service will be held immediately after the visitation at 12pm in the same location. Cantigny Park, 1S151 Winfield Road, Wheaton, IL 60189.

For those wishing to make a donation in Gary’s name, please contribute to Type 1 Diabetes research at Breakthrough T1D or the Alzheimer’s Association.

thanks Art and Drew

Tags: chicagoareafire.com, Chief Gary Jensen Ret. Elk Grove Township Fire Protection District, Elk Grove Township Fire Protection District

Elk Grove Rural Fire Protection District news (more)

Dec 21

Posted by Admin in Fire Department News | 3 Comments

Excerpts from the DailyHerald.com:

Talks could resume this week between Mount Prospect and the Elk Grove Rural Fire Protection District to resolve an impasse over fire and emergency medical service within the district’s service area.

Under a proposed agreement recently approved by Mount Prospect trustees, Mount Prospect, Elk Grove Village, and Des Plaines would take over the duties of the fire district, which would dissolve and yield its fire station and equipment. Three new special taxing districts would provide the funding for the municipalities.

Mount Prospect officials say the fire district is running a structural deficit because of a shrinking tax base stemming from annexations, but the fire district has not signed off on the agreement. District officials take issue with the legality of the proposed dissolution, as well as the village’s cost-benefit analysis.

“We don’t believe at this moment that the (agreement) is fair enough to our constituents,” fire district board president Carlos Maldonado said. “However, we want to make sure that we can negotiate something, not just with Mount Prospect, but with the municipalities together.”

A fire protection district trustee accused Mount Prospect of trying to shove an agreement down the district’s throat that is going to take full advantage of them, and said that Mount Prospect still owes the fire district more than $260,000 from a previous agreement.

When asked about the money last week, the Mount Prospect village manager responded, “Why would we pay them, if we’re about to take over those services?”

Tags: chicagoareafire.com, Chicagoareafire.com/blog, Elk Grove Rural Fire Protection District, Elk Grove Township Fire Protection District, Mount Prospect FIre Department, talks of dissolving the Elk Grove Rural Fire Protection District, towns may annex fire area and dissolve fire district, village pays fire district for annexed land

Elk Grove Township FPD news

Apr 13

Posted by Admin in Fire Department News | Comments off

Excerpts from the DailyHerald.com:

The tiny Elk Grove Rural Fire Protection District would be dissolved and its responsibilities taken over by the Mount Prospect, Elk Grove Village, and Des Plaines fire departments, under a proposal the three municipalities are considering.

The plan calls for a shared services partnership between the three communities and a November 2022 referendum to formally authorize the fire district’s dissolution. Mount Prospect, Elk Grove, and Des Plaines would create a taxing district known as special service area to provide $1 million in initial funding. The money would be divided by the three communities based on expected call volumes to be handled by each.

After approval of the special service area, the fire protection district would stop levying a property tax and liquidate its assets. Under the proposal, the district’s fire station and tanker would be deeded to Mount Prospect.

Mount Prospect village trustees will discuss the proposal Tuesday and the fire district’s board is scheduled to vote on it Thursday. Des Plaines council members and Elk Grove trustees have not voted on the plan.

The fire district has been shrinking over the years as unincorporated areas in its jurisdiction have been annexed by surrounding municipalities. The district now covers only about one square mile, including three manufactured home communities, the Roppolo subdivision northeast of Elk Grove, and several manufacturing areas.

According to a Mount Prospect financial analysis, the fire district is underfunded and will run out of operating cash next year. The fire district recently extended its contract with American Fire and Rescue to provide fire and EMS services through June and then, on a monthly basis, through December.

thanks Keith

Tags: Elk Grove Rural Fire Protection District, Elk Grove Township Fire Protection District, towns may annex fire area and dissolve fire district

Elk Grove Township FPD news

Nov 28

Posted by Admin in Fire Department News | 2 Comments

Excerpts from the journal-topics.com:

Officials from the Elk Grove Township Fire Protection District and Mount Prospect are working on an intergovernmental agreement outlining how the fire district would be compensated due to recent annexations by the village in unincorporated Elk Grove Township. More annexations are planned.

Financial compensation to the fire district is required by state statute. The village is looking at providing the fire district the same amount of money over a shorter period of time so it can remain sustainable without cutting fire staff and is also looking at setting up some type of long-term deal with the fire district so it can remain operational despite the lost tax revenue.

As part of any annexation, the village is required to pay the fire district a gradually-reduced percentage of property taxes which the district currently receives from the annexed properties over a five-year period starting with its full tax levy in year one, 80% in year two, 60% in year three, 40% in year four and 20% in year five.

According to Mount Prospect Village Manager Michael Cassady, the village is offering an accelerated agreement that would pay the district all of those funds for the properties annexed, plus properties that will be annexed, over a three-year period instead of five. The fire district recently responded with a drafted intergovernmental agreement requesting that money continue to be returned over the next 10 years. Also part of the draft agreement, the fire district states it would provide fire service for the next 10 years.

The village has concerns with a deal spanning a decade.

“We look at their financials and see structural deficit that will impair the ability to operate and we saw that structural deficit occurring even before we started annexing,”Cassady said.

Cassady said a three-year deal is a solid one since it allows for an adequate transition period. The village believes the fire district’s staffing will drop over that period of time.

The village is working on annexing a portion of the land owned by United Airlines in unincorporated Elk Grove Township, as well Birch Manor, a residential subdivision at the northwest corner of Linneman Road and Dempster Street. If a three-year agreement can be reached, Cassady said the fire district could contract with the village after that.

Fire district attorney Karl Ottosen said with the village’s annexation activities, the fire district, one year from now, will face serious financial problems to maintain the same level of service residents have grown accustom to.

“They (fire district) are losing almost 50% of their tax revenue,” Ottosen said. “We need to know who is going to provide fire protection and how it is going to be funded.”

Elk Grove Township Fire Protection District provides coverage for several industrial businesses in unincorporated Elk Grove, as well as mobile home parks along Elmhurst Road and Touhy Avenue.

If an agreement cannot be reached, Ottosen said the fire district would need to make significant reductions in levels of service.

Tags: Elk Grove Township Fire Protection District, village to annex land from fire district

Truck fire in Schaumburg, 6-8-16 (more)

Jun 10

Posted by Admin in crash scene video, Fire Scene video | Comments off

Video from Larry Shapiro of the Truck fire in Schaumburg, 6-8-16

Tags: Elk Grove Township Fire Protection District, Elk Grove Township FPD Tanker 11, fire department tanker nursing an engine, fire scene video, firefighter uses saw to cut roof, firefighters overhaul truck trailer, Freightliner fire truck, Larry Shapiro, Long Grove Fire Department, Long Grove Fire Protection District, Pierce Velocity fire engine at night fire scene, Rolling Meadows FD Engine 16, Schaumburg FD Squad 55, Schaumburg FD Truck 53, Schaumburg Fire Department, shapirophotography.net, sparks from fireman's saw at night, trailer fire on the highway, water tender nurses engine at fire scene

Truck fire in Schaumburg, 6-8-16

Jun 9

Posted by Admin in Apparatus on-scene | 1 Comment

Schaumburg companies were sent to the SB IL Route 53 local lanes just past I90 just after midnight on Wednesday (6/8/16) for fire in a semi-trailer. They encountered fire in a 40′ trailer that was almost fully-loaded with commercial uniforms. Battalion 5 requested a tanker from Long Grove and the Elk Grove Township to supply Engine 52 with two lines off. Schaumburg Engines 51 and 54 plus Squad 55 were all on the scene and had used their tank water.

Rolling Meadows Engine 16 and Hoffman Estates Engine 21 were also on the scene assisting with manpower during the almost two-hour process to remove the smoldering contents of the truck. Also at the scene were Schaumburg Trucks 52 and 53, and Schaumburg Ambulances 53 and 54.

Long Grove fire department tender nursing an engine

Larry Shapiro photo

Larry Shapiro photo

firemen in tower ladder bucket use saw on truck trailer

Larry Shapiro photo

Larry Shapiro photo

firefighter uses saw at night with sparks

Larry Shapiro photo

fireman empties truck contents after fire

Larry Shapiro photo

fire department tender nursing an engine

Larry Shapiro photo

Larry Shapiro photo

Larry Shapiro photo

Larry Shapiro photo

Larry Shapiro photo

More photos can be viewed at shapirophotography.net

Tags: Elk Grove Township Fire Protection District, Elk Grove Township FPD Tanker 11, fire department tanker nursing an engine, firefighter uses saw to cut roof, firefighters overhaul truck trailer, Freightliner fire truck, Larry Shapiro, Long Grove Fire Department, Long Grove Fire Protection District, Pierce Velocity fire engine at night fire scene, Rolling Meadows FD Engine 16, Schaumburg FD Squad 55, Schaumburg FD Truck 53, Schaumburg Fire Department, shapirophotography.net, sparks from fireman's saw at night, trailer fire on the highway, water tender nurses engine at fire scene

German modeler builds local replicas

May 26

Posted by Admin in Collectors of fire memorabilia | 5 Comments

Daniel Möller from Obernkirchen, Germany is a model builder and has built several replicas of units from our area.

Here are a few of his models

Arlington Heights ambulance model. Daniel Möller model builder

Big Rock ambulance model. Daniel Möller model builder

Elk Grove Township ambulance model. Daniel Möller model builder

Elk Grove Township engine model. Daniel Möller model builder

Schaumburg FD E-ONE truck model. Daniel Möller model builder

Schaumburg FD E-ONE engine model. Daniel Möller model builder

Schaumburg FD pickup truck model. Daniel Möller model builder

Schaumburg FD Pierce engine model. Daniel Möller model builder

This link will take you to a forum with more images of these models

He is currently beginning a project to build a replica of the Hinsdale Spartan/Rosenbauer America/Metz tower ladder.

Tags: Daniel Möller, Elk Grove Township Fire Protection District, fire truck model builder, model replicas of fire trucks and ambulances, Schaumburg Fire Department

Where are they now … Bridgeview

Jan 21

Posted by Admin in Apparatus on-scene, Fire Department History, Fire Truck photos | 2 Comments

This from Martin Nowak:

Elk Grove Township Engine 310, a 1981 Mack MC started its life as a Bridgeview Fire Department Engine 405 out of Station 2. Here’s a story a firefighter told me at my recent visit to the fire house. It was either 1993 to 1995 when a generator on top of Engine 405 started leaking as so this leak reached some batteries below. This caused sparks and so the whole fire truck engulfed in flames is sitting in the bay with firefighters sleeping. They wake up to someone pounding on the door. A police officer is standing at the door and says your fire truck is on fire. Here’s where the purchase of a new engine comes in. The department was looking for a truck and stumbled across what is currently 1993 Pierce Dash as Engine 425 (Picture taken by me recently). This truck was a Pierce demo with the specs the department liked or best fit them. Elk Grove Township purchased the burned up engine and had it repaired. Changes can be seen between the old photo (thanks to Bill Friedrich for allowing me me to use it) to the current picture on the site.

Bridgeview Engine 405. Bill Friedrich photo

Elk Grove Township FPD 1981 Mack engine with a 1,250-GPM pump, 1,100 gallons of water and 300 gallons of foam. Larry Shapiro photo

Martin Nowak photo

Also, Kevin G found this link to X-Bridgeview Ambulance 406 that is being offered for sale

Bridgeview Fire Department Ambulance for sale

Penske photo

Tags: Bill Friedrich, Bridgeview Fire Department, Elk Grove Township Fire Protection District, Elk Grove Township FPD, fire engine photos, fire engine pictures, green fire engines, lime green fire trucks, Mack MC fire engine, Martin Nowak

Website department updates

May 24

Posted by bgshap in Fire Department News, updated listing | Comments off

Several long overdue updates to various department pages have been completed as follows:

Beecher FPD (new Engine 404)
Joliet FD (new Station 3)
Darien-Woodridge FPD (new 681)
Schaumburg (added Amb 51)
Elk Grove Township (new Engine 11)
Oak Park (corrected the acknowledgement to images from Drew Gresik)
Antioch (new Engine 1 plus other updates)
Lake Villa (new Amb 241 and repainted Amb 243, Amb 241R)
Mokena (new Station 3 plus other updates)

thanks Karl, Hank, Jim, Nick, Larry, Drew, and Jeff

Tags: Antioch FIre Department, Antioch Fire District adopts black over red colors, Antioch First Fire District, Beecher Fire Department, Beecher Fire District, Darien-Woodridge Battalion 681, Darien-Woodridge Fire Protection District, Drew Gresik, Elk Grove Township Fire Protection District, Elk Grove Township FPD, Hank Sajovic, Jeff Rudolph, Jim Skrabel, Joliet Fire Department, Joliet Fire Station 3, Karl Klotz, Lake Villa Fire District, Lake Villa repaints ambulances, Larry Shapiro, Mokena Fire Protection District, Mokena FPD Station 3, new engine for Antioch Fire Department, new Osage ambulance in Lake Villa, new Pierce PUC for Beecher FPD, new rescue pumper for Elk Grove Township, Nick Nerizi, Oak Park Fire Department, Schaumburg Ambulance 51, Schaumburg Fire Department

Arlington Heights Box Alarm 4-18-12

Apr 19

Posted by bgshap in Apparatus on-scene, Fire, Fire Service News | Comments off

Arlington Heights house fire basement fire 4-18-12 1142 Fernandez

Heavy smoke pushes out from all sides of the house at 1142 Fernandez in Arlington Heights shortly after companies backed out. Larry Shapiro photo

A homeowner at 1142 S. Fernandez Avenue in Arlington Heights was reportedly refinishing the basement floor with a flammable solvent which somehow ignited. The fire department received calls reporting white smoke escaping from multiple areas of the home around 5PM on Wednesday. When police arrived and confirmed the reports, Arlington Heights Battalion 1 upgraded the response to a working fire before companies arrived on the scene. The homeowner fled the house then ran back inside before the fire department arrived. He then escaped with 1st degree burns to his face after taking in smoke as well. Responding at this point were two engines from Arlington Heights plus their tower, a squad, two ambulances, and several chief officers. A truck from Des Plaines, a Rolling Meadows engine, an engine from Elk Grove Township, a Rolling Meadows ambulance, and a Mount Prospect engine were the mutual aid companies.

Arlington Heights house fire basement fire 4-18-12 1142 Fernandez Pierce Quantum

Arlington Heights Engine 3 was the first engine on-scene. Four lines were working off this engine, both pre-connects and two skid loads. Larry Shapiro photo

Arlington Heights Engine 3 took a line into the house and encountered fire and high heat as they descended the basement stairs. A second line followed very quickly, and though companies made progress, the basement became untenable and they had to withdraw.

Arlington Heights house fire basement fire 4-18-12 1142 Fernandez Pierce tower ladder

Arlington Heights Tower 1 was in front of the building and preparing to go up with firefighters to vent the roof. Larry Shapiro photo

Schaumburg firefighters went to the roof to ventilate. Larry Shapiro photo

Realizing that the fire was burning unchecked, the alarm was upgraded again to a MABAS Box Alarm. This added Prospect Heights Squad 9, Palatine Rural Engine 36, the third Arlington Heights engine, Elk Grove Village Engine 9, Elk Grove Township Ambulance 11, and Schaumburg Truck 52.

At one point in time there were six Pierce Quantum engines at the scene. Engine 3 was the still alarm engine with multiple lines off. Larry Shapiro photo

Another hose line is stretched to the front of the building. There would eventually be seven lines on the fireground. Larry Shapiro photo

Heavy smoke continues to vent from the house. Larry Shapiro photo

A total of seven lines were used throughout the three-hour battle to contain the fire. Smoke pushed out of all sides and firefighters put two cellar nozzles to work attempting to hit the basement fire. Roughly 20 minutes into the fire, command was informed that a portion of the first floor had burned through and all companies were ordered to remain outside in a defensive posture. One firefighter from Arlington Heights was taken to the hospital after being knocked onto his back while exiting the house early in the operation.

Arlington Heights house fire basement fire 4-18-12 1142 Fernandez injured firefighter

An Arlington Heights firefighter receives assistance after being pulled out of the house. Larry Shapiro photo

Heavy smoke envelopes the injured firefighter and the medics as they head toward the ambulance. Larry Shapiro photo

The basement was reportedly filled with water to the window level after several hours of flowing multiple lines through the window wells, the first floor, and a hole that was breached in the front of the house.