H o s e L i n e H o s e L i n e
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Spring 2006
Crash Truck ready to go!!
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The Fire District has placed in service a
very unique piece of equipment. Crash
Truck 39 will soon move to it’s permanent
home next to the airport. The Palwaukee
Airport has provided a direct access gate
from the East Side fire station onto airport
property. This direct access will speed up
response times for airport emergencies.
This used vehicle was purchased in Dec.
2004 from a Louisiana airport. Since the
truck arrived in P.H, the Fire District’s me-
chanic Captain Paul Elsner, has spent
months rebuilding and refurbishing the en-
tire truck. The progress of this project was
halted when Captain Elsner was deployed to
Louisiana for a month. (see story below)
As part of a large contingent of 600 firefighters and 125 vehicles
from the Illinois area, Prospect Heights was able to send Fire En-
gine #39 and 5 firefighters to Louisiana for 27 days. Our firefighters
were assigned to the St. Tammany parish and provided coverage to
the St. Tammany Parish Fire District while their members worked
to get their families and lives back on track following the Katrina
Hurricane. During the deployment, firefighters from Illinois faced
extreme devastation while living in sub standard conditions in the
early days following the disaster. The Illinois group was one of the
largest sent by any state in the nation. A real credit to the Illinois
mutual aid system.
Prospect Heights FD part of Katrina relief
Six convoys of 20 vehicles each left hours apart to
help the residents of Louisiana.
Crash Truck 39 after being rebuilt, total project cost about
$100,000 compared to a new vehicle cost of $700,000
Message from the Fire Chief
P a g e 2
H o s e L i n e
To celebrate our 60th year as an organized fire district, the
annual awards dinner included all members that have
served the Fire District since inception. About 250 people
attended this momentous event. It was wonderful to see all
the men and women who have served the fire district in
the previous years.
Retired firefighters from as far away as Florida made the
trip to participate in the night’s festivities. A slide show of
over 800 historical photos were compiled and displayed
through out the night. The following day an open house at
the main station allowed the former members to stop by
and see the changes made to the station and vehicles since
Fire District 60 year Reunion
Pictured is (L) retired Fire Chief Donald R. Gould Sr.
and retired Deputy Chief Ronald Olsen.
As Spring approaches, we look forward to being outdoors. Many people like to walk, run, ride their bikes and
skateboard. It’s important to remember that there are many wooded areas in our community where there are no
streetlights making it difficult to see people during the evening hours. Please use caution.
In the summer of 2005, the Fire District hired 9 fulltime Firefighter Paramedics (3 per shift) to enhance our ex-
isting 65 member part-time staff. With the increase in full-time personnel, the Fire District increased the daily
manpower to 10 trained personnel per day. We respond to emergencies from our two fire stations; Station 9 lo-
cated at 10 East Camp McDonald Road and Station 39 located at 1275 South Wolf Road (adjacent to Palwau-
kee Airport).
In 2005, the Fire District remained active in many community events -- Summerfest, Independence Day Pa-
rade, Fire District Open house, and Palwaukee Airport Open house. We also helped sponsor several school
and church events, the Police and Fire Golf outing, and offered tours to many community groups as well as
attending neighborhood block parties. We look forward to participating in many more community events in
2006.
We are saddened by the loss of our Recruit Firefighter Adam Johnson who died in a vehicle accident last
month. Many donations were received by the Fire District in his memory and will be used to purchase rescue
equipment on our new crash truck.
We appreciate the numerous letters and cards sent by our residents thanking our Firefighters and Paramedics
for their assistance during emergency situations.
Remember to check your smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors to ensure they are in good working
order. They may save your life during an emergency when every moment counts.
Lastly, please mark your calendars and plan to stop by for Fire Prevention Week Open House on October 14.
Have a safe and happy spring and summer season.
P a g e 3
S p r i n g 2 0 0 6
The Overall National Fire Picture - 2004
•
There were 3,900 civilians that lost their lives as the result of fire. Down from 5,800 in the 1980’s
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There were 17,785 civilian injuries that occurred as the result of fire.
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There were 117 firefighters killed while on duty.
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Fire killed more Americans than all natural disasters combined.
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83 percent of all civilian fire deaths occurred in residences.
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Direct property loss due to fires was estimated at $9.8 billion.
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Cooking remains the leading cause of fires in the home, poorly maintained heating equipment is the second cause of
fire.
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Residential Sprinklers are the answer to prevent fire deaths as seen in Scottsdale AZ since 1986
The greatest thing we can do to make our homes safe is to have a working smoke detector
and carbon monoxide detector on every level.
Practice your home escape plans with your family, have a pre-determined meeting place
Types of calls
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50% - Medical related
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17% - Assist other towns
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12% - Services calls.
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7% - Fire alarm activations
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1% - Actual Fires in PH
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13% - Misc. responses
Busiest Day, Busiest Month, Time of incident.
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Busiest Day for responses—Tuesday
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Slowest day for responses—Friday
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Busiest Month—July
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Slowest Month—March
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Incidents between 6A—6P 58%
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Incidents between 6p—6A 42%
Areas of City Effected
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West of Wolf— 45%
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East of Wolf— 33%
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Other communities—22%
Response Times
(From time caller contacts 911 until FD arrives)
Less than 5 minutes (Our Goal) 85.3%
Less than 6 minutes 91.9%
Greater than 7 minutes 6.0%
Overlapping incidents requiring both station responses –248
2005 Annual P.H .Incident Statistics
Fire Safety getting better ….
but we have a long way to go !
10 East Camp McDonald Road
Prospect Heights, Illinois 60070
Prospect Heights Fire
District
Phone: 847-253-8060
Fax: 847-253-4759
Email: phfd@prospectheightsfire.com
See us on the web @
prospectheightsfire.com
ECRWSS
Postal Customer
Free “Friends and Family” C.P.R classes
PRSRT STD
U.S Postage
PAID
Prospect Hts. IL
Permit No. 55
Would you know what to do in a cardiac emergency? During the month of April and May, Prospect Heights FD is
teaching community members how to respond by offering a FREE cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) class. The
class is being offered through a partnership with the American Heart Association. Residents interested in participating
can call 847-253-8060 to register. Please request the Friends and Family Course.
Cardiovascular disease is the nation’s No. 1 killer and many deaths—about 250,000 per year—occur sud-
denly and without warning due to sudden cardiac arrest. When performed effectively, CPR doubles the chance of
survival. Taking a CPR class is
a great opportunity for residents to learn a skill that may save the life of a friend or
family member. CPR is a vital, life-saving skill that everyone needs to know, and when your spouse, parent or
child’s life is on the line, the training allows you to overcome your fear and act quickly and confidently.
Instructors will train participants using the American Heart Association’s Family and Friends course. This is a
community CPR course and does not meet CPR certification requirements of employment or required professional cre-
dentials. There are no CPR card issued for participants. However, the state Good Samaritan law protects all laypersons
trained in CPR. The course lasts about 2 hours and is based on the American Heart Association’s longstanding guide-
lines for cardiopulmonary resuscitation and emergency cardio-
vascular care.
