H E A LT H C A R E & P U B L I C S A F E T Y
FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT The Grayslake Fire Protection District’s 40 full-time and 28 part-time firefighters provide life and property-saving services to not only district residents, but also to all of Lake County and northern Illinois by spending hours getting specialized training and then taking part in regional teams, made up of representatives from many departments. For instance, six Grayslake specialist firefighters are also certified public safety divers, trained to execute rescue and recovery efforts in both water and on ice, according to Christian. They are part of the Lake County Water Rescue Team, which handles calls from Lake Michigan west to the Chain O’ Lakes. “We have many bodies of water in Grayslake and in Lake County, so we need highly-trained divers available year-round,” Christian said. “All fire district personnel are trained to an operation level.” Two other specialist firefighters have been trained to fight brush and forest fires and are part of the wild land firefighting team, which was formed a decade ago using a grant from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. It can be deployed to other areas of the state when needed. All firefighters are trained to fight wildfires but this team is more comprehensive. However, the department responds to these fires when called, regardless of whether the speGRAYSLAKE AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
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cialized team members are on duty or not. “The Wild Land Firefighting Team is a tactical team that is trained to be sensitive to the environment at the same time that they work to save people and structures,” Christian said. Another specialized team that six Grayslake firefighters at the specialist rank have joined is the hazardous materials team. They are called out when there is a hazardous material spill or leak from a truck or a train car, as well as when there is a chlorine leak at a swimming pool or a problem at a manufacturing plant. This team could also respond if a suspicious powder is found. Next, there is the Technical Rescue Team which responds to incidents in a high-rise building or a confined space like a trench or structure collapse. Four Grayslake firefighters are specially trained for this type of rescue. Finally, one Grayslake specialist firefighter is a member of the Illinois Urban Search and Rescue Team which goes into any catastrophic situation where they are needed including the aftermath of major weather events and terrorist attacks. “We have a very close relationship with our neighboring departments and our firefighters train and work together regularly, so we have a large group that can respond when needed,” Christian said.
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2016 COMMUNITY GUIDE & BUSINESS DIRECTORY
8/1/2016 10:06:09 AM