Posts Tagged Limestone Township Fire Protection District

As seen around … Kennard, Texas

This from Dennis McGuire, Jr.:

X-Limestone FPD Kankakee, Illinois 

Located now in Kennard, Texas 
Former Limestone FPD Kankakee, Illinois fire engine now in Kennard, Texas

Dennis McGuire, Jr. photo

Former Limestone FPD Kankakee, Illinois fire engine now in Kennard, Texas

Don Parrish photo

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Limestone Township Fire Protection District news

From the Limestone Township Fire Protection District Facebook page:

PRESS RELEASE

LIMESTONE TOWNSHIP FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT ANNOUNCES CLOSING

To our community,

As many in our community are aware, The Limestone Township Fire Protection District has struggled over the last several years to maintain an adequate number of qualified staff due to financial constraints. LTFPD has made several attempts to improve our fiscal situation, including the liquidation of a brush/rescue truck, a utility vehicle, a fire engine, reductions and eliminations in tuition reimbursement for essential classes, a reduction in minimum staffing from three personnel to two, a suspension of all salary raises, and a referendum attempt in March which failed. These attempts, however, have fallen short and have left the Fire District unable to continue to provide emergency services at the level we have done in the past. Therefore, it is with deep disappointment that the Limestone Township Fire Protection District formally announces that the community’s one fire station, located at 4948 W. Rt. 17, will be closed and unstaffed every Saturday and Sunday beginning November 7th, 2020, should the referendum attempt on November 3rd, 2020 fail. This closing will allow the District to maintain our already decreased level of staffing during the weekdays, however, additional closed days may be required in the future to meet the ever-growing financial burden placed on the District by unfunded State mandates and the State’s unprecedented new minimum wage requirements.

We ask that our community be understanding to the fact that this closing will dramatically increase response times for calls that occur on the weekends. The District will do its best to respond to these calls in a timely fashion so long as volunteer members are able to respond from home. In the event that sufficient volunteer members do not respond, residents will be forced to wait for units from other jurisdictions to respond if available.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding this matter, please contact Chief Whalen or Deputy Chief Bruno at (815) 932-4664.

LIMESTONE TOWNSHIP FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT ANNOUNCES CLOSING

click to download

thanks Dennis

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New brush unit for the Limestone Township Fire Protection District

This from Chief Mike Whalen:

Limestone Township Fire Protection District LMTV

The Limestone Township Fire Protection District recently received a military LMTV (Light Medium Tactical Vehicle) through the Illinois Department of Natural Resources Federal Excess Property Program. Through the assistance of many local people and businesses, the vehicle has been updated to use for Brush and Wildland Firefighting, Flood Rescue and Evacuation, Severe Weather Response, and Search and Rescue Operations. 

The LMTV features include:

  • All wheel drive and a central tire inflation system
  • 300-gallon tank and a 3,000 psi 10 GPM high pressure pump
  • 11,000 lb front and rear winch
  • Seating for 3 personnel
  • High intensity LED lighting for nighttime operations
  • Canopy for flood and severe weather operations

The vehicle was placed into service this week and will be available for Mutual Aid and Special Call responses. 

Limestone Township FPD Light Medium Tactical Vehicle)

Second Alarm Fire Photography

Limestone Township FPD Light Medium Tactical Vehicle)

Second Alarm Fire Photography

Limestone Township FPD Light Medium Tactical Vehicle)

Second Alarm Fire Photography

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Illinois Association of Fire Protection Districts honors firefighters

The Daily Journal has an article about three firefighters being honored by the state:

Longtime firefighters Lyle Coffman and George Grosso, of Limestone Township, and Jim LaMotte, of Momence, have received the outstanding community service awards from the Illinois Association of Fire Protection Districts.

A multigeneration firefighter, Coffman has served as a firefighter and fire district official for a total of 49 years in three different departments. He was appointed trustee of the Limestone Township Fire Protection District in 1986 and has been board president for more than a decade.

He has served in the Limestone department since 1972, has been a state director of the Illinois Association of Fire Protection Trustees and is a former president, and has served as president of the Kankakee County Fire Trustees Association.

He was one of the first paramedics in the Kankakee area and was instrumental in making the Limestone Township department one of the first advance life support providers in the region.

Grosso has been a firefighter and district official since 1958 and has seen the department grow from a small volunteer operation to an organization with full-time, part-time and paid-on-call firefighter/paramedics. He was appointed to the board of trustees in 1991 and is currently the treasurer of the district.

LaMotte started with the Momence Fire Protection District as an 18-year-old volunteer in 1958 and has served as firefighter, chief, board member and president. He was chief for 21 years, after a year as acting chief.

He served as an officer of the Illinois Firefighter Memorial Foundation, a member of the Kankakee County Board, chairman of the Kankakee County Emergency Telephone System Board, chairman of the board of Good Shepherd Manor in Momence, and a board member of Kankakee County Drug Court.

thanks Chris

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