Excerpts from the Journal-Topics.com:
Glenview Fire Station 13 will remain in operation after village trustees directed the fire chief and village manager to change course and operate the fire department with a five-station footprint at a special village board meeting Monday.
The change came after a crowd of about 300 rallied in front of the fire station last Saturday, yard signs saying “Save Fire Station 13” began cropping up all over town, and more than 50 people called into Monday’s Zoom-based village board meeting.
Residents, mostly from the east side, and firefighters not only from Glenview but other communities, called into the meeting, many with heartfelt personal stories of calling 911 and having firefighters respond to medical emergencies and even house fires. Several residents living near Station 13 pleading for the station to remain open recounted how they called 911 and could hear the sirens blaring as crews left the station before they got off the phone.
After the public comment period, village trustees agreed to move forward with a five-station plan. Several trustees then supported the use of jump companies village-wide.
On the expanded use of jump companies, Glenview Professional Firefighters Association Local 4186 Union President Jesse Gallagher said he had concerns. Most Glenview firefighters are also certified paramedics, but he said how fire crews gear up to respond to a fire or medical call are different.
“The challenge is the next call,” Gallagher said. “What we leave with is what we have. We often go straight from one call to another.” He said when a first call is a medical call and the second is a structure fire, that can create difficulties. He said paramedics would bring fire turnout gear with them on an ambulance run, but would not return to the station to swap vehicles.
Many callers were critical of what they said was a lack of transparency in making such an important decision.
Village President Jim Patterson said the decision made on closing Station 13 at the Tuesday, Feb. 2 meeting could be made without village board approval as it was an operational decision, but said the issue was posted on that board meeting’s agenda. The issue was posted as a discussion of a consultant’s report on fire department operations. Trustees acknowledged shortcomings in the area of transparency and communication on the issue.
