The primary mission of the Carpentersville Fire Department is to provide a range ofprograms designed to protect the lives and property of the citizens of the Village of Carpentersville and the residents of rural areas included within the described response area from adverse effects of fires, sudden medical emergencies, or exposures to dangerous conditions created by either man or nature. The Fire Department provides fire and emergency medical services to the residents of the Village, as well as the surrounding Carpentersville and Countryside Fire Protection District. The department provides several other services, which include but are not limited to fire prevention, fire investigation, public education, specialized rescue that includes: confined space, trench rescue, high angle, hazardous materials, water and ice rescue, and building collapse. In 2010, the department responded to just over 3,500 calls for service of which 2,428 were medical related calls and 945 fire related calls. The east side station handled 68% of the calls, with the old town station handling 15% and the west side station handling 14%. The remaining 3% of calls were providing mutual aid assistance to other communities. Fifty-seven structure fires were responded to in 2010, which resulted in just over $1,000,000 in fire loss. The east and west side stations house a front line fast attack fire engine and an advanced life support ambulance. The headquarters station, located in the old town section, houses the same front line engine and ambulance as the others but also has a 100’ tower ladder.

2010/2011 ACCOMPLISHMENTS

1. Continued to provide an average response time to any call for service within four minutes.
2. Obtained Federal Assistance to Firefighters Grant in the amount of $107,500, which provided laptops in all fire department vehicles. These will provide vital information on fire scenes with building layouts, hazards, etc. The second component of the grant was to have a complete vehicle exhaust system installed at Fire Station #3. The Foreign Fire Board provided the 10% match for this grant.
3. Department was awarded an artifact from the World Trade Center and started the planning for the construction of a firefighter memorial at Fire Station #1 with the cost being covered by donations.
4. Obtained $100,000 State of Illinois grant to assist with the renovation of Fire Station #2. This grant application was submitted in 2009 but was not funded until December 2010. The grant was a non-matching grant and assisted with this project being $315,000 under budget. The renovation project was completed in May of 2010 and was the final component that addressed the facilities that house the Fire Department. Fire Station #1, located in old town at 213 Spring Street was renovated in 2000 and Fire Station #3, located on the west side at 5000 Sleepy Hollow Road, was constructed in 2001. All three stations were designed to be expandable if future needs dictate and with the exception of yearly maintenance, these facilities should serve the department for the next 15+ years.
5. In February 2011, a new 2010 Advanced Life Support ambulance will be placed in service replacing a 2002 ambulance. The cost of this ambulance was $138,000. This ambulance replacement is part of the department’s 10-year vehicle replacement plan and is being incorporated into the Village capital equipment purchase plan. Currently, the department is in need of an additional ambulance and is evaluating the potential benefits of switching from the current light duty chassis ($155,000) which we are getting 5-6 years use, to the medium duty chassis ($175,000) which other departments have indicated is lasting between 7-8 years or a heavy-duty chassis ($210,000) which has been lasting 9-12 years. The purchase of an additional replacement ambulance is needed in the fiscal year 2011/2012.
6. The need to replace a 1993 fire engine exists due to the maintenance costs increasing each year. There are numerous engine style options available. Engines can be purchased with 250 gallons, 500 gallons, or 1,000 gallons. The larger the tank, the higher the purchase price. The west side engine, where this one would be housed, covers a large portion of our rural, non-hydrated area and should have a minimum of 1,000 gallons on board. Other options include a custom engine such as the ones currently in service ($550,000), a commercial, off the assembly line engine ($300,000), plus used and/or demos (no pricing is available at this time for these two options).

These vehicles, as well as others in the Village, need to be planned for in a capital equipment replacement program/fund in order to have funds available for such purchases when the needs arise. The department will work to extend the life of the engine one more year in order to allow additional funding to be provided in the replacement fund. Over the next several months and during fiscal year 2011/2012, a detailed study and evaluation will be conducted in order to present the best option for the department’s use and available funding.

2011/2012 OBJECTIVES

1. Develop specifications and plans for the purchase of a replacement ambulance based on the evaluation of different types of chassis, their longevity and the maintenance costs associated with each.
2. Research and develop a plan to coincide with the vehicle replacement program to design and prepare for the replacement of a front line fire engine in fiscal year 2012/2013. This will include different options on how to provide the adequate vehicle and equipment to meet the service needs of the west side.
3. Determine innovative ways to provide fire safety and public education with reduced funding for these programs.
4. Work to obtain funding to provide staffing levels that allow five firefighters in each station to staff a three-man engine crew and a two-man ambulance crew. This level of desired staffing would help meet the 2 in 2 out regulation with structure firefighting and provide more flexibility with crews in each station.
5. Locate, confine and extinguish fires, thereby, conserving life and property with the resources available to the department.
6. Continue to work with neighboring departments in the development and implementation of agreements for aid in fires beyond the department’s control.
7. Continue to provide the highest level of care to the ill and injured, while maintaining EMS certification with the Illinois Department of Public Health.
8. Continue to provide the community with the most comprehensive emergency medical services possible and provide appropriate numbers of trained paramedics and additional support staff on every call. The minimum ambulance crew should consist of no less than one paramedic and one emergency medical technician as required by the Emergency Medical System.
9. Provide the highest degree of fire loss control through inspections, public education and fire investigations. Each business within the department’s response area shall be inspected at least once annually, and depending on the property classification, it may be inspected as often as once a month.
10. Continue to test all ladders, fire hoses, self-contained breathing apparatus and fire pumps as required and document such testing.
11. Continue to conduct annual evaluations of all department employees which will include physical ability and provide feedback as to what areas need attention and/or improvement.
12. Continue to provide medical exams for all employees as outlined by the National Fire Protection Association.

    ORGANIZATIONAL CHART

* Projected staffing level is a recommendation from an outside consultant based on a 2004 personnel study.

2010/2011 Fiscal Year Budget

More information about the Fire Department

Contact Information:

John Schuldt, Fire Chief
E-Mail: jaschuldt@vil.carpentersville.il.us

John Skillman, Assistant Fire Chief
E-Mail: jskillman@vil.carpentersville.il.us

Marla Shepley, Executive Assistant
E-Mail: mshepley@vil.carpentersville.il.us

IN CASE OF EMERGENCY CALL 911