President Patrick Maher
Secretary Bob Cacciato
Treasurer Martin McGill
Trustee Glenn Michalek
Trustee James Hickey
As elected officials, the Board of Trustees are the executives of our District. Trustees meet a minimum of twice each month to approve, discuss, and direct staff in the operation of our District. Through the direction of President Maher and the Board of Trustees, our staff is held accountable to delivery of services for our residents. The accomplishments of our District in 2010 were the direct result of our Board’s dedication to the OFPD mission of serving our residents.
Chairman Thomas Lia
Secretary MaryBeth Casper
Commissioner Thomas Hayes
The Board of Fire Commissioners are appointed by the Board of Trustees. The function of this Board is to conduct the testing of new firefighter candidates and promotional processes.
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February 18, 2011 President Maher and Board of Trustees Orland Fire Protection District Orland Park, Illinois 60462 Dear President Maher and Board of Trustees: It is with extreme pride that I present to you the 2010 Annual Report of Orland Fire Protection District. Once again, the members of our organization have demonstrated their untiring devotion for providing quality emergency services and community programs for our residents. It is through the efforts of our people that we can accomplish great things. After a two year decline in call volume, we experienced an increase of calls in 2010. A slight rise in requests for EMS is where the demand for service increased. As the population of our District becomes older, we expect that the trend of increasing requests for EMS will continue. A significant milestone for our District occurred in the first part of the year when we opened our new Training Facility and Command Training Center (CTC). The Training Facility and CTC drew attention from across the State, as we unveiled what is considered one of the most premier training resources in Illinois. Using grant funds to construct the CTC, we are able to provide video simulation training for our chiefs and officers which will ultimately improve the safety of all of our responders. As you know, Orland Fire District is a progressive and dynamic public safety organization which is constantly looking for ways to improve the effectiveness of our service delivery. This year, we have reduced our median response times by 13 seconds! While this may seem to be a small amount, the accomplishment is substantial, and a testament to the collaborative efforts of everyone in our team. Progress does not happen unless we have a supportive Board that believes in our mission and provides us with the resources we need to make our operation better. Thank you for your continued support and cooperation. Our mission to provide the residents of Orland Fire Protection District with professional, technical, quality emergency services continues to be our marching orders which we proudly carry out. Respectively Submitted,
Fire Chief Bryant Krizik
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159th and Harlem Car Fire 02/10
2010 By the Numbers Budget
$29,856,839
Land Area
33.0 sq mi.
Population
75,000
ISO Rating
Class 2
Fire Stations
6
The Orland Fire Protection District (OFPD) is located in Southwest Cook County, approximately 22 miles from the city of Chicago. OFPD serves the villages of Orland Park, Orland Hills, and unincorporated areas of Orland Township. The Fire District has six fire stations that cover approximately 33 square miles and upwards of 75,000 population. Statistics are broken down by each fire station’s primary response area shown in the map above. However, the District uses a dispatch system that sends the closest available unit to a call. OFPD staffs a minimum of four engine companies, two truck companies and five ambulance crews daily.
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The ten-year call history shows a 17% increase. From 2001 through 2007, call volume steadily increased. In 2008 and 2009, we experienced a decrease in our call volume. The reduction was due in large part to installation of radio alarms which dramatically reduced our false alarms. In 2010, we experienced an increase in our call volume over 2009. The increase came in the area of EMS calls. Overall call volume increased by 69 calls in 2010.
Vehicle accident at 160th & 94th Avenue 12/7/10
Calls by still district shows call volume in relation to a geographic area surrounding our six fire stations. As expected, there is a higher call volume in areas where population is more dense. A one square mile area centered at 159th and LaGrange is consistently the most dense concentration of calls for service in our District.
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Vehicle Accident at 167th and 94th Avenue 9/22/10
11500 West 157th Fire 5/6/10
OFPD Response Call Types
9200 Pepperwood Trail Brush Fire 3/30/10
Assist PD, 19
Water Rescue/OtherRescue, 2
Hazard, 2 1 Rescue, 3 1 Gas Leak, 54 Electrical, 54 CO Call, 60
Pin-in, 10
Elevator, 122
Misc, 112 Cancelled Enroute, 60
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OFPD Calls by Time of Day 600
519 513
500
428
451
479
438 389
368
400
353
305 306
279
300 200
457 464
440 433
186
161 179 141 158 141
226
223
100 0
OFPD Fire and EMS Calls by Day of Week 800
728
720
701
700 600
514
464
500
707
481
442
408
400
721
709
680
431 EMS
331
300
Fire
200 100
0 Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
OFPD Fire and EMS Calls by Month 500
439
450 400
379
399
377
421
350 300 250
451 390
299 243 200
230
247
430
258
288
403
462
432 383
308 261
241
283 213
EMS
200
Fire
150 100
50 0
Jan -8-
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
OFPD Calls by Station 3,500 3,000
2,500 1,255 2,000
790
1,000
Fire
1,024
1,500
EMS
704
456
591
1,662
1,454
1,197
500
806
657
1,247
795
272
0 Station 1
Station 2
Station 3
Station 4
Station 5
Station 6
Chiefs
Calls by Apparatus 2,500 2,174
2,000
1,790
1,756 1,554
1,503
1,500
1,519
1,471
1,294 1,126
1,011
1,000
Fire EMS
832
750
500 123
0 A1
A2
A3
A4
A5
A6
E2
E3
E5
E6
Vehicle Accident at 143rd and 82nd Avenue 1/3/10
T1
T4
Chiefs
Numbers are total by Apparatus
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Vehicle accident at 9540 144th Place 7/26/10
143rd & 80th Avenue Burn Down 3/7/10
4:26 minutes
Response time is a measure of how fast we can get to your emergency. Our goal is to be on the scene of an ambulance call in under 4 minutes and a fire call in under 6 minutes. Orland Fire Protection District’s Median Response Time for all calls is 4 minutes 26 seconds.
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The performance of emergency responders is often measured by the time it takes personnel to arrive on scene of the emergency call. Many steps take place prior to the arrival of a paramedic at your side or a firefighter with a hose full of water. The steps include call processing time in the dispatch center, notification to the appropriate fire station, crews suit up and mount apparatus, response of apparatus from fire station to scene, arrival of personnel and assembling of equipment, and then intervention. Orland Fire District uses a national guideline as our benchmark of performance. The benchmark (NFPA 1710) is used throughout the Country to measure performance of career fire departments.
NFPA 1710 requires four-person companies on fire apparatus responding in a timely manner to both fire and EMS calls. NFPA 1710 Response Guidelines: ▪ One minute (60 seconds) for dispatch ▪ One minute (60 seconds) for turnout time ▪ Four minutes (240 seconds) or less for the arrival of the first-arriving engine company at a fire suppression incident and/or 8 minutes (480 seconds) or less for the deployment of a full first alarm assignment at a fire suppression incident (15-17 firefighters) ▪ Four minutes (240 seconds) or less for the arrival of a unit with first responder or higher level capability at an emergency medical incident ▪ Eight minutes (480 seconds) or less for the arrival of an advanced life support unit at an emergency medical incident, where this service is provided by the fire department ▪ The fire department shall establish a performance objective of not less then 90 percent for the achievement of each response time objective.
80% arrival under 343 seconds 90% under 388 seconds The Orland Fire Protection District arrives on the scene of all calls on average under 6 minutes, 80% of the time. We are 90% compliant in arriving on the scene under 6:28 minutes. Vehicle Accident at 135th & Will Cook Road 9/9/10
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Gold Shift Fire
On March 17, 2010, a 911 call was received by Orland Dispatch at about 6 pm reporting a fire in the laundry room. Truck 7 arrived to find heavy smoke and fire venting from the back of the home. A working fire response was called and upgraded to a full still. Crews made entry and encountered high heat and heavy black smoke on the main floor working their way to the lower level. The origin of fire was from the laundry room. The fire had extended outside the lower window and up the siding, but cr ews were able to stop the advancing fire quickly. The fire was contained within 20 minutes. The first and second floors were spared fire damage but sustained significant smoke damage. The cause of the fire was determined to be materials stored too close to the water heater. The Orland Fire District’s family assistance team was able to supply the family with clothes and personal supplies to get them through the next couple days in temporary housing.
Red Shift Fire
On May 6, 2010, Orland Fire Dispatch received a 911 call at about 11:30 pm reporting a house fire with a person burned. Reports prior to arrival confirmed there was a fire and the response was upgraded to a working fire. Engine 3 arrived reporting smoke and fire showing from the rear of the small single story house. Ambulance 3 arrived at the same time as Engine 3 and immediately began treatment of the homeowner with burn injuries. The fire was contained within 15 minutes. The home sustained significant heat and smoke damage throughout. Due to the location of this home, a rural response was required bringing in water tenders from Homer and Northwest Homer Fire Districts. The cause of the fire was due to unattended cooking.
Black Shift Fire
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On June 2, 2010, at about 4:30 pm, Orland Fire was dispatched to the Mercedes dealership for a commercial fire alarm. While companies were responding a 911 call was received reporting smoke in the building. Engine 2 arrived on the scene with smoke showing from the service area. Battalion 1 had requested a working fire response while enroute and upon arrival a full still alarm was called. Crews made their way into the service area through the smoke to find a car up on a service lift and burning. The fire was extinguished within ten minutes at which time crews worked at removing smoke from the building to minimize damage to other equipment and vehicles. The service area had numerous vehicles inside at the time of fire with heat damage reported to only one other on an adjacent rack.
Red Shift Fire
On July 11, 2010, a 911 call was received reporting an outside fire next to a house on Hilltop. While responding, smoke was seen from the area and the response was upgraded to a working fire. Battalion 2, Engine 3, and Truck 1 arrived to a one story house well involved from the garage area and this was upgraded to a full still level. The fire outside the garage had burned through a natural gas line before the meter creating a difficult situation for firefighters. Initial reports were received that the building was still occupied. Companies began attacking the fire and searching for possible victims. During the search, crews located the family dog which was removed and taken by family members to the veterinarian and is doing well. Fire had traveled from the outside of the garage into the eves and attic space. With the fire extending through the attic space, Box Alarm #6029 was initiated which brings in neighboring departments to assist on scene and cover our stations. The fire was brought under control in about 40 minutes. The area around the gas meter had to continue to burn but was controlled by firefighters with a CAFS line for two and a half hours until NICOR could excavate, cut and cap the line.
Black Shift Fire
On July 19, 2010, several 911 calls were received by Orland Dispatch reporting a house fire on Leslie. Shortly after companies were dispatched, Battalion 1 noted a large amount of smoke in the sky and called for a working fire response. Upon his arrival, he reported fire showing from the garage and extending to the living area. A full still response was started followed by Box Alarm #6019. Companies began attacking the fire and searching for any possible victims. The fire had progressed to the second floor attic area and was under control in approximately 30 minutes.
Red Shift Accident
On September 30, the Orland Fire District was called to the scene of a vehicle crash involving a school bus. Orland Park Police arrived and reported the bus was occupied. Ambulance and Truck 1 arrived and assessed the scene reporting one vehicle and a school bus head on with heavy damage. A pin-in response was called for which brought assistance from Engine 5 and Ambulance 3. Paramedics began treatment of the two people injured in the SUV and reported to command there were injuries on the bus. At that time, command requested Box Alarm #6099 for additional ambulances. In all, there were seven ambulances on scene which transported 12 patients to area hospitals. Fortunately, there were no serious injuries in either the bus or the vehicle. -13-
On March 30, Homewood Fire Department responded to a house fire which would ultimately take the life of Firefighter Brian Carey. Firefighter Carey was killed when a flashover occurred, trapping him and severely burning his partner. Orland Fire District Dispatch Center handled the dispatching of this call, and subsequent communications due to the line of duty death.
In the early morning of November 10, 2010 Lockport Fire responded to a working fire in a commercial building in their downtown district. This was a two story building with bowling alley in the basement. Engine 6 was dispatched to change quarters at the box alarm level and moved to the scene at the call for a second alarm. Lockport command escalated to the third alarm to bring the fire under control.
Orland Fire responded to Homewood with an Engine, Ambulance, and Chief on a change of quarters and remained there for nearly 24 hours. Orland Fire District and Local 2754 Honor Guard and other Orland members participated in the funeral for Firefighter Carey.
Picture Courtesy of Fox News
Picture Courtesy of Chicago Tribune
On the afternoon of August 13, 2010 New Lenox Fire responded to a carbon monoxide incident with illness. Multiple patients had been affected and the incident was escalated. Ambulance 6 was dispatched on the third alarm to the scene. The incident progressed to a fourth alarm bringing in more than 15 ambulances. Ambulance 6 treated and transported two patients from the scene.
Oak Lawn Fire was dispatched to a reported fire in the attic of a one story business on November 17, 2010. Initial companies made an aggressive attack but reported heavy involvement in the attic space. Operations had changed to defensive and the alarm was escalated to the second alarm level. Orland Truck 1, Battalion 2 and Ambulance 2 were dispatched to the scene. A special request for an ambulance to the scene was made and filled by Ambulance 2.
Picture courtesy of Chicago Tribune Picture Courtesy of Chicago Tribune
On August 13 at about 9:30pm, Orland Fire District was requested to assist Tinley Park with a basement fire in a home. Tinley crews arrived to smoke showing from the single story home. Condition of the home hampered efforts at accessing the basement. 6000 requested Engine 2 for its CAFS which proved beneficial helping to extinguish the fire and also for its ability to conserve the available water as the fire occurred in a rural area with no hydrants. Orland companies remained on scene with the Tinley crews for about 5 hours. Tinley command had elevated the incident to the third alarm level.
Tinley Park was dispatched for a fire in a home on December 18, 2010. Truck 4 and Battalion 1 were dispatched on the initial alarm to respond mutual aid with Tinley companies. Tinley command reported fire in a single family two-story home and called a full-still. Temperatures this night were in the single digits. Battalion 1 had been diverted to a priority medical while enroute. Tinley command escalated the alarm to the box level which brought Engine 2 and 6001 to the scene.
Picture Courtesy of Tinley Park Fire Department -14-
Along with handling incidents within our own jurisdiction, Orland Fire is regularly requested to assist surrounding agencies with their incidents. The request may be to cover a fire station for subsequent incidents or to assist with personnel and equipment on the scene. A single incident can be taxing to the resources of any fire department which has resulted in mutual aid agreements pre-arranging the assistance prior to an incident and specifying who responds with what personnel, apparatus and equipment. The OFPD is a member of MABAS (Mutual Aid Box Alarm System) Division 19.
Picture Courtesy of Tinley Fire Department
Mutual Aid provided to Tinley at 17250 Parkside house fire 8/13/10
Picture Courtesy of Tinley Fire Department
Mutual Aid provided to Tinley at 17250 Parkside house fire 8/13/10
Other Mutual Aid includes: New Lenox Crestwood Blue Island North Palos Chicago Ridge Roberts Park Homer Lemont MABAS 22
Frankfort MABAS 21 Aroma Park Bridgeview East Joliet Lockport MABAS 24 Northwest Homer
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Operating expenditures budgeted for 2010 were $29,856,839. Budgeted expenditures by category are summarized in the chart on the left.
Total budgeted revenue in 2010 was $27,602,077. Property taxes are the District’s main source of funding, representing 89% of budgeted revenue, or $24,548,473. Property tax levies were abated by $1.3 million in 2010. This reduced the amount of taxes levied in 2010. The District seeks revenue sources in addition to property taxes to offset expenditures. These revenue sources include charges for services (ambulance service, dispatch service, tower leases, training classes, and fire prevention services), grant proceeds, and other miscellaneous sources.
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Vehicle Accident at 135th & Will Cook Road 9/9/10
144th & LaGrange Bus Accident 9/30/10
Vehicle Accident at 9540 144th Place 7/26/10
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Tower Usage Training Conducted in 2010: ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪
Blood Borne Pathogens Respiratory Protection Drivers Training Hazardous Materials Operations Firefighter II Structural Firefighting Night Training Incident Command Training Technical Rescue Awareness Fit Testing Personal Protective Equipment
In 2010, our fire personnel logged over 23,000 hours of combined ongoing training! Extrication In 2010, our Fire Rescue crews trained extensively on vehicle extrication. The focus was realistic scenarios based evolutions involving vehicles rolled over on their roofs and on their side as well as various intricate lifting/cutting situations. Our crews respond every day to automobile accidents and are prepared for any rescue challenge that may be present to quickly and safely remove entangled patients to our Emergency Medical Services crews.
SCBA Extensive hands on training was provided to our personnel in 2010 with the introduction of new state of the art Self Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) from MSA. Providing our personnel the best life saving equipment available to protect their lives in delivering firefighting services in hostile, deadly atmospheres is mission critical – that of protecting life and property.
Ice Rescue With over 200 bodies of water in Orland, our crews must be ready to immediately respond to persons who may have fallen through the ice or into the open bodies of water. Each year, we train extensively putting our crews not only onto the ice but into the frigid water in ice rescue/cold water immersion suits. -18-
“Firefighter
safety is all about being calm, controlled and taking sensible precautions or implementing risk control measures. It’s about following procedure or making sure where procedure cannot be followed that essential fire-ground needs are met. Firefighter safety is about effective deployment of resources and staffing, especially where resources are limited. It's a fact that the vast majority of Line of Duty Firefighter Deaths (LODD) are NOT due to fate or destiny. More likely is that there was a lack of tactical and command training as the root cause.”Paul Grimwood 2010 proved to be a great year with the inaugural opening of the Command Training Center (CTC). In 2010, all of our Command Staff Chiefs (7) and Company Officer Lieutenants (33) completed the 50 hour ―Blue Card Command‖ training prerequisite required to complete the NIMS Type 4/5 Certification process. An additional 24+ hours hands-on training was performed in practical simulation scenarios in our new state-of-the-art grant funded CTC, thereby certifying almost all Officers as ―Blue Card Commanders.‖ Furthermore, numerous outside departments have used our CTC and become certified in the Blue Card System with many more scheduled to come through in 2011. Departments that have Certified Blue Card Commanders trained here in Orland include:
Alsip Berwyn Mundelein
Park Ridge Peotone Plainfield
Pleasantview Riverdale Wood Dale
WHY BLUE CARD & CTC? Tactical Deployment & Command The most Common Causal Factors of Traumatic Firefighter Life Losses are: ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪
Lack of Incident Command from the first response onwards Inadequate Risk Assessment Lack of Accountability or SCBA Air Management Inadequate Communication Inadequate or Ineffective Standard Operating Procedures Lack of Situational Awareness
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▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪
7 Active Orland Fire District Personnel 4 Team Drills Totaling 80 Man Hours of Training SWHMRT Haz Mat Validation in April SWHMRT Training—13 Team Drills 12 Months of Drills including: Recognition and Identification, High Hazard Buildings, BioFuels, Monitoring, Foam, MABAS Equipment, Science, and Dressing
The Orland Fire District has 11 members that are part of the MABAS 19 Water Rescue and Recovery Team. This team responds to all water related incidents involving Rescue or Recovery within the MABAS 19 jurisdiction. Our primary goal for 2010 was to establish equipment uniformity throughout our team. This was achieved mostly through grant purchases that were obtained from the Federal Government and private donation (Walmart). ▪ Training conducted twice a month ▪ Equipment received through a grant purchase: - 1 MK7 Portable Underwater Communication Device - 3 AGA Dive Masks with Hardwire Communication Microphones - 2 50 Feet Communication Pony Lines - 6 Swift Water Exposure Suits with Boots - 5 Swift Water Communications Sets - 4 Mustang Survival Coats and Pants - 2 Alternate Air Regulators - 2 Zeagle Tec 10 Buoyancy Control Devices - 2 Replacement Connectors for Surface Supplied Air Units
▪ Place new trailer in service ▪ Presented an Office of the State Fire Marshal Rope Operations Course ▪ Used the Illinois Terrorism Task Force grant to fund members to attend 14 Office of the State Fire Marshal courses ▪ Validated 16 team members in trench rescue during annual CART validation ▪ Trained 480 hours including: - Constructed shoring systems for building collapse - Shored live trenches - Breeched concrete at the Lombard Company using electric and hydraulic hammers and saws - Performed Confined Space Rescue - Performed High Angle Rope Rescue
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The Orland Fire District sponsored and held the very first Advanced Cause and Origin Seminar for the South Suburban Task Force. This was the FIRST training class held at the new Orland Command Training Center. There were over 130 students from five states in attendance for this five day, 40 hour seminar. Monthly training is held on the 2nd Tuesday of each month.
Advanced Origin & Cause Class 3/1/10
In 2010, the team investigated 15 intentionally set fires as well as 13 fires that are still under investigation at this time. We are currently still working on these investigations as well as previously investigated fires prior to 2010. Incendiary fires are suspicious in nature, set intentionally, and involve the crime of arson. Orland suffered one civilian fire fatality this year as a result of fire. Although there was very little damage, the victim succumbed to her injuries months later. The cause of death was ruled suicide by the Cook County Medical Examiner. The Orland Fire Investigation Team works in conjunction with the Orland Park Police, the Orland Hills Police, the Office of the State Fire Marshal, the Cook County Bomb Squad, and the ATF. Orland is a member of the MABAS 19 Origin and Cause Team as well as the South Suburban Fire Investigation Task Force. Orland Fire District is Home to the Task Force. Our team responded to over 50 fire investigations within Orland and surrounding communities within the task force. The Orland Fire District in accordance with the South Suburban Task Force was the lead fire investigators responsible for origin and cause at the tragic Homewood Fire where a firefighter and civilian was tragically killed and one firefighter was severely injured. The Orland Team continues to strive to be one the best trained teams in the state. Our investigators will participate in the very first Office of the State Fire Marshal re-certification program for fire and arson investigators. -21-
▪ Inspected all commercial and multi-family occupancies within the district. ▪ Inspected all public/private schools and daycare centers within the district. ▪ Taught life-safety classes for Condo Associations. ▪ Fire Prevention Bureau members participated in: - Spring and Fall Senior Luncheons - Kids’ Safety Week - Lowes’s Safety Day - Annual Open House ▪ The Fire Prevention Bureau worked on getting business owners to convert problematic telephone fire alarms to the Keltron radio transmission system. ▪ Fire Prevention Bureau Personnel made 8,544 field contacts in 2010. We were again successful in reducing the amount of false alarms we respond to.
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The Kids’ Fire & Life Safety Camp returned for its second year. Children ages 9-11 enjoyed a fun filled week of learning about personal safety, water safety, and the firefighter/paramedic career.
The Home Safety Council and Lowe’s, in conjunction with OFPD, kicked off Fire Safety Month on 9/25 to teach families how to prevent accidents in the home. Families participated in a variety of educational activities along with some ―just for fun‖ stuff to do.
The Orland Fire Protection District honored winners of its Annual Fire Safety Coloring Contest at the District’s Training Facility. Trustee Cacciato, Trustee McGill, Public Education Coordinator Kathy Donofrio, along with Battalion Chief Randy Reeder, awarded 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place trophies to pre-schoolers through 5th graders.
The Orland Fire Protection District and the Orland Park Police Department took to the ice for the 2 nd Annual Guns vs. Hoses Hockey Game. The Hoses were victorious once again defeating the opposition by a score of 9 to 5!. This year we were excited to have Reggie Kerr, Cliff Koroll, Grant Mulvey and Jack O’Callahan, four Blackhawk Alumni, playing with us. This event raised toys for Toys for Tots.
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The Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) awarded the OFPD a Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting. Congratulations to our Finance Department!
Trustee Cacciato, Trustee Hickey, Trustee Maher, Pat Stadnicki, Kerry Sullivan, Trustee Michalek, Trustee McGill, and Chief Krizik
Public Education Coordinator, Kathy Donofrio, received an Award of Commendation from the Illinois Fire Inspectors Association for demonstrating outstanding achievements in public education.
Cadet Ethan Nowakowski, Sparky, Kathy Donofrio, Cadet Matt Behrmann and Cadet Sean Mandekich at the Best Buy event.
OFPD honored two employees for their hard work and dedication to the District. Lieutenant Joe Madden was named Firefighter of the Year and Telecommunications Operator Kris Wessel was named Employee of the Year.
TCO Kris Wessel and Lt. Joe Madden
OFPD welcomed its newest additions to staff in 2010: TCO Ryan Simon
Part-time Telecommunicator:
Marvin Buhle Ryan Simon
The Telecommunicators are responsible for dispatching emergency fire and EMS apparatus and personnel. The critical role of our dispatch personnel requires the ability to handle pressure and remain calm in emergency situations.
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TCO Marvin Buhle
In September of 2010, the Orland Fire District began the renovation and expansion of its administrative office building. The project will add an additional eight thousand square feet of needed office space to accommodate the daily staff. The new building also includes several options for meeting/conference rooms. There will be a larger more efficient board/training room which will be set-up to accommodate a class or a board meeting without making changes to the room. Work flow will be enhanced with the grouping of staff into functional areas. Parking has been doubled with the purchase of a small parcel of land to the North. There have been energy savings features designed in the building to include improved insulation, sky lights, improved HVAC and water saving features. At the close of 2010 much of the mechanical, electrical and plumbing work had been completed and the walls were being framed. It is expected that staff will be able to occupy the building in the middle of May and is on schedule.
Orland Fire Protection District joined CHUG (Collaborative Healthcare Urgency Group) with the ambition of leading a movement in the Southwest Suburban area. The plan is to sign up hundreds of new members to join CHUG, a membership organization specializing in the evacuation of functional needs populations. CHUG’s premise is that comprehensive and collaborative strategies are essential to addressing the complex medical, psychological and independence needs of healthcare facility patients and residents who may be impacted by emergency or disaster situations that ultimately require planning for response or evacuation. CHUG has been identifying and recruiting organizations and agencies to join its network for several years and are now focusing on the Southwest Suburban area of Chicagoland, with a strong assist from Orland Park. In conjunction with local nursing homes, hospitals, fire departments, ambulance transport services, and the Village of Orland Park, we have developed a system to better respond to incidents in these types of facilities.
In September of 2010, 40 interns and physicians from Advocate Christ Medical Center spent the day at the Orland Fire District training facility. They climbed and tunneled through collapses and voids, confined spaces and sewers as well as smoke filled hazardous environments. They found patients along the way that were in need of medical procedures, amputations, and assistance with breathing. It was all simulated of course, the patients were manikins and the situations controlled. Orland members of the CART and USAR Teams supplied the oversight, safety and instruction to the interns and physicians. It was an eye opening experience for them and some great interaction for the Fire District as well.
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On 9/11, OFPD held a ceremony to remember those killed during the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. LifeSource and OFPD also hosted a blood drive and those who attended from 11 to 1pm met Chicago White Sox relief pitcher Sergio Santos who posed with fans for pictures and signed autographs for those who donated blood. Battalion Chief Steve Smith donating blood Eng. Fontana ringing the bell
On August 26th, a training session was held in the First Midwest Theater’s parking lot to see how quickly and smoothly emergency response teams could gather. The drill started at 7:30 am and determined the capabilities of the Illinois Mutual Aid Response System to deploy response teams to a pre-determined staging area. The drill was held in conjunction with the International Fire Chiefs Conference being held in Chicago. The drill was televised into the conference. 90 fire departments were mobilized to three staging areas within 90 minutes of notification demonstrating Illinois system to mobilize responders. Orland Fire District participated with three pieces of equipment.
Due to the construction at our Administration Building, our Annual Open House was held at Station 5 on October 2nd and over 150 visitors attended. Visitors had a chance to observe a side-by-side live burn and sprinkler demo, fire extinguisher demo, as well as an auto extrication drill. The fire-safety smoke house was open and children were given the opportunity to don fire equipment. The District’s various trucks were also on display.
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Station #6 was the recipient of a new MedTec ambulance in December of 2010. A couple of advances in technology on the new ambulance include microbial resistant surfaces and smart glass which makes the windows opaque with the touch of a button, affording patient privacy.
There are 52 pieces of rolling stock that comprise the Orland Fire Protection District’s fleet which are all maintained by the OFPD Fleet Maintenance Bureau. The heart of our maintenance program is a very through and aggressive Preventive Maintenance (PM) program. Every piece of equipment is rotated through the Orland Fire Protection District’s fleet maintenance repair facility at regular intervals. These intervals are structured to maximize the effectiveness and efficiency of the Fire District’s EMS and Fire Suppression operations. The goal of the PM program is to ensure that all Fire District equipment is mechanically safe, optimally maintained, and in a state of constant readiness. ▪
▪ ▪ ▪ ▪
All equipment is thoroughly inspected by the Fire District’s ASE certified mechanics. The goal of the inspection process is to aggressively look for potential problems so that they can be immediately addressed drastically reducing the chance of mechanical failures or breakdowns that may impact safety or operations as well as preventing costly wear/damage. A successful PM program results in well maintained, safe, and reliable equipment. Well maintained equipment increases operational efficiency. Well maintained equipment dramatically increases overall life and reduces equipment replacement costs while increasing the return on the Fire District’s initial investment. Well maintained equipment improves employee morale and is the foundation of the pride and ownership that is the cornerstone of long established fire service tradition.
The Fleet Maintenance Bureau takes great pride in the quality of the work that is preformed on a daily basis. Our personnel are not just mechanics; they are true craftsmen in every sense of the word. Our people have the ability to diagnose, repair, design, fabricate, and problem solve. All work is performed with a sense of pride, honor and loyalty that consistently shines through. The Fleet Maintenance Bureau is one of many operationally cost effective and efficient components the make up the Orland Fire Protection District. -27-
SWORN STAFF Administration Fire Chief Administrative Battalion Chief Program Supervisors EMS Lieutenant Maintenance Lieutenant Training Lieutenant IT Manager Sworn Shift Personnel 1st Shift Battalion Chief 1 Lieutenant 10 Engineer 10 Firefighter/Paramedic 15
1 3 1 1 1 1 2nd Shift 3rd Shift 1 1 10 10 10 10 14 14 Total Sworn
3 30 30 43 114
NON-SWORN STAFF Administration Human Resources Director Executive Secretary Administrative Assistant Receptionist Community Relations Specialist, Part-Time IT Technician, Part-Time Finance Finance Director Assistant Finance Director Accounting Secretary Fire Prevention Supervisor Inspector Public Education Coordinator Secretary Communications/Dispatch Communications Supervisor Telecommunicators Telecommunicators, part-time Maintenance Mechanic Building Maintenance Technician Maintenance, Part-Time Summer Employees Total Non-Sworn Total Personnel -28-
1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 1 1 1 10 9 2 1 1 8 46 160
Noreen and Firefighter Tom Kawa
A retirement party was held on December 10th at Orland Chateau in honor of Firefighter Thomas Kawa. Tom served the residents of the Orland Fire District for 21 years. Congratulations to Tom!
Firefighter Oram, Engineer Mazurkiewicz, Lieutenant Schofield, Firefighter Tom Kawa, and Lieutenant Olinski
Chief Krizik and Firefighter Tom Kawa
Rev. Leo Lyons died February 18. He was 87 years old.
Trustee Cacciato and Rev. Lyons
Rev. Lyons presided over many dedications for the Orland Fire Protection District, and served as the chaplain for VFW Post 2604 and Brother Rice High School in Chicago. He volunteered at several local parishes, such as St. Bernadette in Evergreen Park, St. Emeric in Country Club Hills and St. Agnes in Chicago Heights.
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