Posts Tagged Fire Chief Greg Klaiber

Evanston Fire Department news

Sep 28

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Evanston firefighters have raised concerns about an interim arrangement placing the department under the city’s police chief rather than naming someone from the department until a full-time fire chief is selected.

With the retirement of Fire Chief Greg Klaiber effective Sept. 14, the city manager announced that the city would conduct its own nationwide recruitment process for the position.

In the meantime, Police Chief Richard Eddington was asked to supervise on an interim basis the fire department’s deputy and division chiefs, he wrote in a memo that went to all city staff.

“Operation of the Fire Department will continue as usual under this arrangement until the new fire chief begins work,” he wrote.

The move is a departure from past interim situations, union members said, where fire or police personnel ran their departments during the search for a permanent chief. Representatives of Local 742 recently met with the city manager to state such concerns, said Matt Smith, president of Evanston Firefighters Local 742.

Firefighters had expected Deputy Chief Brian Scott on an interim basis to run the department that is comprised of more than 100 firefighters.

Klaiber had elevated Scott to deputy chief of operations and fire prevention in September of last year. He singled out Scott for high praise in his retirement speech at the Sept. 16 city council meeting.

Smith said firefighters believe Scott working with Klaiber over the past few years had contributed to building a fantastic department. He also singled out the department’s community outreach programs (including a first-time citizens fire academy), and excellent labor-management relations.

Not bringing him into the spot and placing the police chief in charge “has left us a little bit uncertain and a little bit anxious what’s going to happen over the short-term,” Smith said.

thanks Dan

Tags: Deputy Chief Brian Scott, Evanston Fire Department, Evanston Firefighters Local 742, Evanston Firefighters Union Local 742, Fire Chief Greg Klaiber, police chief to oversee fire department in Evanston

New truck in Evanston

Nov 5

Posted by Admin in Fire Department News, New Delivery | 5 Comments

New TDA for Evanston Truck 23. Evanston FD photo

Excerpts from EvanstonNow.com:

Evanston fire officials dedicated the city’s new Truck 23, a Pierce tractor-drawn aerial that replaces a similar unit now 23 years old.

Fire Chief Greg Klaiber said the new truck, based at Fire Station 3 at 1105 Central St., will assure three to five minute response times to fire calls for all parts of the city north of Church Street. The city’s other ladder truck, stationed at Fire Station 2 at 702 Madison St. and serving the south half of town, was replaced with a new model in 2011 after about 20 years of service.

Klaiber said the primary role of ladder truck crews is search and rescue efforts at fire scenes, and he said the well-organized equipment bays on the new vehicle will assure that firefighters can quickly find the equipment they need to whatever situations they may encounter.

Klaiber said planning to acquire the new truck started 18 months ago after an examination of the repair record of the old vehicle. He says 20 years is about the typical life for a ladder truck in fire departments across the country. Purchase of the new truck was approved last August.

The brief ceremony at Station 3 ended with Fire Chaplain David Jones annointing the St. Florian Cross logo on the truck cab with holy oil in the name of the patron saint of firefighters.

Excerpts from the ChicagoTribune.com:

The city’s new $1.1 million aerial ladder truck was placed in service on Monday but the preparations which brought it to that point began long before.

The process started with Klaiber meeting with Lonnie Jeschke, the city’s fleet services manager, who has since retired, going over maintenance and repair records of the previous truck and then putting together a plan making the case for a replacement. Jeschke, recently retired Division Chief Tom Janetske, Shift Chief Bill Muno and Management Analyst Mike Whalen served on the group, determining the right height, width, storage capacity of the new vehicle.

The tractor-drawn, 100-foot aerial ladder truck is steered from the front and back ends.

“Some of our streets, especially in winter are very difficult to get down,” Klaiber pointed out, “and a straight truck with all the equipment we carry, they may not be able to make those turns.”

For about the last month, firefighters have been working to get the new truck ready for service. Klaiber singled out Firefighter Michael Hasanov who did much of the carpentry work, custom fitting the truck’s cabinets.

The new truck replaces a 23-year-old 100-foot aerial ladder truck “so this is for the next generation of firefighters,” the chief said.

thanks Dan

Tags: Evanston Fire Department, Evanston puts new truck into service at Station 23, Fire Chaplain David Jones, Fire Chief Greg Klaiber, Firefighter Michael Hasanov, new truck for Evanston, St. Florian Cros

Evanston increases ambulance fees

Sep 16

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Excerpts from Evanstonnow.com

Evanston aldermen gave final approval increasing charges to patients for ambulance service — the first increase in those rates since 2009.

The new fee schedule increases the minimum charge for an Evanston resident from $362 to $512. Higher rates are charged depending on the level of life support services required. The top fee for residents will rise from $621 to $771. Fees for non-residents are significantly higher.

Fire Chief Greg Klaiber says the new rates will still be lower than the average of the rates charged by other nearby communities, which range from a low of a $450 minimum charge for residents in Wilmette to $1,034.79 for any ambulance run in Glenview.

The city’s current rates are also lower than what Medicare is willing to pay for ambulance service, which means the city has been missing out on reimbursement for some service that many residents would have insurance to pay for.

Klaiber says the new rates are expected to generate an additional $200,000 annually in revenue to the city.

Tags: Evanston Fire Department, Fire Chief Greg Klaiber, town raises ambulance fees

Evanston to honor anniversary of LODDs

Jul 16

Posted by Admin in Fire Department News | 2 Comments

From the City of Evanston website:

The Evanston Fire and Police Departments will hold a remembrance ceremony on Wednesday, July 22, 2 p.m., at Firemen’s Park, to honor the lives of fallen department firefighters William Craig, George Stiles and Marty Leoni.

This year will mark the 110-year and 30-year anniversaries of the line-of-duty deaths of firefighters William Craig and George Stiles, and Marty Leoni, respectively. Firefighters George Stiles and William Craig lost their lives at the Clayton Marks Building fire at 1900 Dempster St. on December 13, 1905. Firefighter/Paramedic Marty Leoni was with the department for four years and was responding to a structure fire at 1927 Jackson Ave. with a report of an infant trapped on the second floor on July 22, 1985. Leoni lost his life that day, and for the second time that century, the Evanston Fire Department experienced and faced what every firefighter and every fire department knows can be a reality, but hope never is.

Fire Chief Greg Klaiber states, “Thirty years ago Firefighter/Paramedic Marty Leoni died tragically in a house fire while searching for a trapped victim. On July 22, we will honor the memory and service of Firefighter/Paramedic Leoni, Firefighter Craig and Firefighter Stiles, who gave the ultimate sacrifice on behalf of the citizens of Evanston.”

This ceremony will also acknowledge other firefighters and police officers who have given their lives in the line of duty.

The remembrance ceremony will include:

Assembly of Personnel – 2 p.m.

Presentation of Colors – 2:10 p.m.
EFD/EPD/AFFI Honor Guard

Prayer Service/Moment of Silence – 2:15 p.m.
Chaplain David Jones

Dispatch of Last Alarm – 2:25 p.m. exactly

Remarks – 2:30 p.m.
Fire Chief Greg Klaiber
Mayor Elizabeth Tisdahl
Captain Mike Adam (retired)

Tolling of the Bell Ceremony – 2:45 p.m.

Stand Down of Colors – 3 p.m.
EFD/EPD/AFFI Honor Guard

Fellowship and Food – 3:10 p.m.

All members of the public are encouraged to attend. Firemen’s Park is located at the corner of Simpson St. and Maple Ave.

For more information, please call/text 847-448-4311. For convenience, residents may simply dial 3-1-1 in Evanston.