1

The mission of the Darien-Woodridge Fire District is to provide emergency

services and public safety programs through dedicated personnel who

exemplify honor, pride, and integrity with full accountability and respect to

the District, to each other, and to citizens we serve.

Darien-Woodridge

Fire District

2012

Annual Report

www.dwfd.org

2

Table of Contents

A Message from the Chief ........................................................................................................ 3

A Message from the Deputy Chief ........................................................................................... 5

The History of the Darien-Woodridge Fire District .............................................................. 6

About the Darien-Woodridge Fire District ............................................................................ 7 Mission Statement/Vision Statement/Set of Values

What is a Fire District?

Our Joint Dispatch

Our Service Area

Fire Stations .................................................................................................................................9

Organizational Chart................................................................................................................10

Fire District Administration ....................................................................................................11

Personnel ....................................................................................................................................12

Budget ........................................................................................................................................14

MABAS ......................................................................................................................................15

Division Reports ........................................................................................................................16

Awards / Certifications .............................................................................................................28

Darien-Woodridge Fire District, by the Numbers .................................................................30

2012 Incidents/Activities ...........................................................................................................40

Significant Incidents .................................................................................................................41

3

A message from the Fire Chief…

As we begin a new year, we finish 2012 having had tremendous amount of change within the Fire

District. The most significant being the loss of a great amount of experience through retirements.

The replacement of those people always creates new challenges in training and education, which is

always a focus of the District. The end results of successful training are the best quality service to

you, and safer working environments for our firefighters. The real issue to overcome is the loss of

that knowledge those had gained through decades of experience.

We have also been fortunate, through refinancing of debt, to be able to replace over 40% of our

fleet which was done without an increase in taxes. It is an absolute necessity for us to be able to get

to a scene quickly, safely, and reliably when called upon. Some may not have realized that a

second, front-line ambulance was placed back in-service in July 2012 at our Station 3 at 87th

Street

and Lemont Road. This was done by increasing our staffing level in accordance with the current

Collective Bargaining Agreement which was negotiated in December 2011. This vehicle had been

taken out of service in June 2006.

Please take the time to look through the District’s Annual Report as it contains a wealth of

information regarding our historical, financial, operational, and personnel information for you.

As always, it is a pleasure to serve the residents of this community and I welcome all of you to visit

our facilities and meet the officers and firefighters that are here for you. I am very proud of this Fire

District, and all of our employees who make it work. If you would like to contact me I can be

reached at (630) 910-2200, or via email at dlambright@dwfd.org.

Thank you for the opportunity to serve you, and I wish everyone a Healthy and Happy New Year

for 2013.

David A. Lambright Fire Chief/Administrator

4

A message from the Deputy Chief…

Over the last year, 2012, we have made significant progress in many areas of the department. The

last year has been a year of change for the better in many ways.

The first and I think most important transition was effective July 2, 2012 when we were able to put

a second fully manned ambulance back in service at Station 3. Due to a number of budget

constraints in 2006 we were forced to shut down the ambulance at Station 3, which left us with only

one front-line ambulance, located at Station 1. The result was we were depending on neighbor

departments for mutual aid to transport our District residents to the hospital if our ambulance was

already committed on a call. In 2011 we used a mutual aid ambulance a total of 130 times. Also,

from January 1st, 2012 to July 2, 2012 we had already used a mutual aid ambulance 70 times.

However, since the second ambulance went in service in July, we have used a mutual aid

ambulance only two additional times, not counting multiple vehicle accidents.

The next major change is that we finally replaced our aging ladder truck and rescue squad with a

new vehicle that took the place of both of those vehicles. The new Truck 619 is a 105 foot Quint

that has both a pump and water. The new vehicle is also equipped with heavy extrication equipment

and other specialized rescue tools. In the past we had to jump from the truck to the squad for rescue

and accident calls. This caused a delay and put us in the situation that if they truck was returning

from another call, it would either have to return to quarters to switch vehicles or respond without

the heavy rescue tools.

We have replaced the Battalion Chief’s car and have placed two new ambulances in service in late

fall. This was made possible by taking advantage of the markets and getting some needed capital

funds through refinancing our debt at a significantly lower rates. This money will also be used to

make needed building repairs and improvements, updating our aged computer network and other

critical projects.

One of the major time consuming projects has been the Starcom 21 and FCC narrow-banding

mandate. In order to make space for new radio frequencies, the FCC required that all public service

radio channels are narrow banded by December 31, 2012. Since we have known about this change

for over five years, it had been our intention to handle it ourselves and budgeted appropriately to do

it. The second issue was inter-operability. Since 9-11 it has been the goal for all public service

agencies to be able to talk and work with each other on major and minor incidents. However, as part

5

of the DuPage Radio project it was determined we could solve two problems at the same time. For

example, before the new Starcom radios went into service, if our ambulance crew ran into a

problem on an EMS call, they could only call our dispatch center and have them relay the message

to the police dispatcher. Now the paramedics can talk directly to the police dispatcher and/or officer

on the radio. This can save both time and lives in a dangerous situation.

In 2012 we have lost three of our senior personnel to retirement. Firefighter Jim Hobbs has been a

member of the department since 1974 and full-time since 1983. He retired in June. Lt. Valerie Feld

was a member of the Belmont Fire District when we merged with them in 1988. She was hired full-

time in 1991 and retired in August. Lt. Carl Witt was also a member of the Belmont Fire District as

a part-time firefighter and later as a Lieutenant. He also was hired full-time in 1991. He retired in

November of this year.

Speaking of retirement, on December 31, 2012, after 30 years of full-time service, and just short of

35 years as a member of this fine department, I have chosen to retire. I am leaving this department

in better shape than I found it and I see its future to be very bright. We have very good people and

they will continue to serve our residents with Pride, Honor and Integrity.

I wish everyone a happy, healthy, and safe New Year.

Jay

Joseph P. Worden

Deputy Fire Chief

6

HISTORY

The Darien-Woodridge Fire District is the result of a merger of the

Downers Grove Estates Fire District and the Belmont Fire District in

1988.

The Downers Grove Estates Fire District was organized in the late

1940's by a group of residents near Main St. and 63rd St. in

unincorporated Downers Grove. The homeowners established the

department and built a station at 1133 Adelia. In the early 1960's, it

became obvious that there needed to be a more centrally located

station. Therefore, a fire station at 2425 75th Street was built and put

into service. The Adelia station was used until 1986, when it was

sold.

By the early 1970's the department hired its first full-time members.

For a number of years three men were on duty during the day. Paid-

on-call personnel manned the station at night and on the

weekends. By 1983, the full-time staff had gone to a 24 on 48 off

schedule, supplemented at night and weekends by paid-on-call

personnel.

In 1987, the department went through two name changes. The first

lasted less than two months. In order to differentiate this department

from Downers Grove, the Downers Grove name was dropped, and

the Estates Fire Protection District was born. However, it became

clear that a new name reflecting the area of coverage would be

better. Therefore, the name was changed to the Darien-Woodridge

Fire Protection District.

The Belmont Fire Protection District tends to parallel that of

Downers Grove Estates. The people who lived in the unincorporated

areas west of Dunham Road north of 63rd Street were being provided fire protection by the Downers

Grove Fire Department on a pay as needed basis, until 1969 when Downers Grove said they would not

provide protection to that area. The residents then started the Belmont Fire District, with a station

located at 59th and Belmont.

In 1987, the Trustees of both Darien-Woodridge and Belmont Fire Districts entered into discussions

about merging the two departments into one, and the question was taken to the voters in 1988. The

voters agreed and effective November 1988 the two departments became one organization, under the

name of the Darien-Woodridge Fire Protection District.

In 1990, station #3 was opened at 87th and Lemont Rd. This station was placed to cover the south end of

the district area to improve the response times to the southeast corner of the District.

In the 1990’s it became clear that the station at 75th Street needed to be replaced. A new headquarters

station at 7550 Lyman was completed and opened in late summer of 1998, and the old station on 75 th

Street was sold and torn down for a shopping center.

7

DARIEN-WOODRIDGE FIRE DISTRICT

Mission Statement

The mission of the Darien-Woodridge Fire District is to provide emergency services and public

safety programs through dedicated personnel who exemplify honor, pride, and integrity with full

accountability and respect to the District, to each other, and to citizens we serve.

Vision Statement Now and into the future, the Darien-Woodridge Fire Protection District will be a team whose

members are loyal, dependable, citizen focused, and dedicated in their service. We will be

recognized as a progressive public service provider committed to excellence, and be enthusiastically

supported by our community which views us with pride, integrity, and confidence. Our mission will

be accomplished by a physically fit, healthy, and increasingly diverse work force, well trained in a

multitude of specialized skills with a high level of commitment in our success. We will always train

in a manner that plans for succession. Our equipment will be dependable, capable and consistent

with the need of the community, embracing cutting-edge technology and emphasizing firefighter

safety.

Core Values

The values of an organization are not ordinarily considered to be part of any planning process, yet

the values held by all form the foundation for the organizational culture and the belief system of the

entire organization. The values identified in the Darien-Woodridge Fire District are Pride,

Accountability, Excellence, Responsibility, Dedication, Loyalty, Integrity, Honor, Education Open-

Mindedness, Citizen focus, Dependability, Teamwork, Improvement, Communication, Discipline,

and Respect.

8

What is a Fire District?

A Fire Protection District is a legal entity created by a vote of the residents within the service area.

The purpose is to provide emergency fire, medical, and related services. The District is not

connected in any way with local municipalities and they do not receive any funds from them. Real

estate tax is the major source of revenue, and a fire protection district does NOT receive income or

sales tax revenue.

Dispatching

Our dispatching is done by DU-COMM, an independent agency located in Glendale Heights. DU-

COMM also dispatches for both the Darien and Woodridge Police Departments. This allows for a

more effective system of dispatch since Fire and Police are located in the same center. All 9-1-1

calls, radio fire alarms and other emergency calls go through this combined center. DU-COMM

handles 32 different agencies from one center, which is the majority of DuPage county Fire and

Police Agencies. We joined DU-COMM along with Darien, Lisle and Woodridge Police

Departments in 2011.

Service Area

The Darien-Woodridge Fire District is

approximately 12 square miles. We

protect the eastern portion of Woodridge,

the western portion of Darien, and a

small, unincorporated area of DuPage

County. The rough boundaries are I-355

on the west, I-55 on the south, Cass Ave

on the east, and 55th

St on the North. The

ISO insurance rating is a class 3.

9

FIRE STATIONS Station 1

7550 Lyman

Station 2

5901 Belmont

8687 Lemont Road

Station 3

10

Darien-Woodridge Fire

Protection District

Organization Chart

Board of Fire Commissioners

Administrative Assistant

Public Education

Fire Prevention Director

Accounting Specialist Administrative Secretary

6 Full-Time FF/PM

4 Part-Time FF

3 Lieutenants

Battalion Chief Black Shift

6 Full-Time FF/PM

4 Part-Time FF

3 Lieutenants

Battalion Chief Red Shift

6 Full-Time FF/PM

4 Part-Time FF

3 Lieutenants

Battalion Chief Gold Shift

Deputy Chief

Fire Chief Administrator

Board of Trustees

11

FIRE DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION

Board of Trustees The Board of Trustees of a fire protection district constitutes the "corporate authority" of the

District, and exercises "all of the powers" and controls "all the affairs and property of such district".

Because the Fire District is not associated with any municipality, the Board of Trustees act as the

governing board of the District, much like a city council is for a municipality.

Members:

Robert “Bob” Klein, President

George H. Nelson, Secretary

Frank J. Burns, Treasurer

Sharon A. Cattaneo, Trustee

James Palatine, Trustee

Board of Fire Commissioners The Board of Fire Commissioners is an appointed board and is responsible for the hiring, firing, and

promotion of sworn personnel.

Members:

H. James McGill, Chairman

Edward Cryer, Secretary

Leo Rasp, Commissioner

Fire Chief / Administrator David Lambright

Deputy Chief Jay Worden

Battalion Chiefs John Maggio

Tom Mahn

Mark Cooper

12

PERSONNEL

The listed personnel are those on the books at the end of 2012.

Career Members

Nick Anastos

Eric Baran

Jay Breitsameter

Neil Brown

David Ciarrocchi

Mark Cooper

Seth Dale

Daniel Firlit

Steve Gorsky

Brian Isley

Jim Karasek

Keith Kaschub

Edward Kouba

Anthony LaFemina

Jimmy Lahanis

Shawn Lamb

David Lambright

Darren Lino

John Maggio

Tom Mahn

Vince Phillips

Carlos Rojas

Rick Sanborn

Michael Schleich

Robin Skamser

Brian Skopec

Jim Skrabel

John Tabisz

Jamie Tunk

Michael Zessemos

Part-Time Members

John Caldwell

Dan Difatta

Matt Duffy

Dan Fagan

James Finnegan

Bill Geary

Eric Heinz

Matthew Krall

Jeffrey Kushner

Joe Molinari

Michael Moran

Kyle Paczesny

Darrell Parrish

Jennifer Phillips

Joseph Rizzatto

Sue Sircher

Randy Take

Thomas Takoy

Terry Ticknor

Thomas Trapp

Daniel Vaci

Edward Vrba

Amy Wasko

Support Staff

Liz Goldrick

Rytis Juzolenas

Robert Morris

Alicia Pavone

Kathy Trapp

New Hires: Matthew Krall, Anthony Lafemina, David Ciarrocchi, Carlos Rojas, Daniel Firlit,

Edward Kouba, John Caldwell, James Finnegan, Eric Heinz, Jeffrey Kushner, Kyle Paczesny,

Thomas Takoy, Edward Vrba

Promotions: Lieutenant Darren Lino

Retirements: Deputy Chief Jay Worden, Lt. Valerie Feld, Lt. Carl Witt, F/F Jim Hobbs

13

0

5

10

15

20

250-2

3-5

6-10

11-15

16-20

21-25

26-30

30+

Firefighter Years of Service

Age of Firefighters

0

5

10

15

20

25

20s

30s

40s

50s

60s

14

BUDGET

The Fire District’s budget is based on a fiscal year that runs from June 1st through May 31

st. The

following numbers are based on the 2011 - 2012 fiscal year.

Revenue Taxes 5,919,851

Ambulance fees 419,365

Fire alarm monitoring 289,176

Other fees 27,305

Training reimbursement 10,827

Maintenance reimbursement 20,730

Interest 4,648

Grants/Donations 191,183

Other 49,282

$6,932,367

Expenditures General Administration 638,309

Communications 319,319

Fire Stations 132,426

Portable Equipment 12,981

Apparatus Maintenance 207,390

Training 31,857

Quartermaster 41,568

Fire Investigation 2,750

EMS 53,428

Haz Mat 895

Payroll 4,038,011

Health & Safety 25,500

Fire Prevention 155,184

SCBA 185,176

Special Rescue 3,918

IMRF & FICA 130,988

Insurance 405,873

Audit 7,950

Foreign Fire Insurance 14,201

Firefighter Pension 552,359

$6,960,083

15

MABAS The Darien-Woodridge Fire Protection District is part of the Mutual Aid Box Alarm System (MABAS) in

the state of Illinois. MABAS, in partnership with IEMA (Illinois Emergency Management Agency), have

established a statewide, non-discriminatory mutual aid response system for fire, EMS and specialized

incident operational teams. Sharing the effort are representatives from the Office of the State Fire Marshal,

Department of Public Health – EMS Division, and Illinois Fire Chiefs Association.

MABAS is a mutual aid system which has been in existence since the late 1960s. Pre September 11th,

MABAS was heavily rooted throughout northern Illinois. Since September 11th, MABAS has rapidly grown

throughout the State of Illinois and Wisconsin, and parts of Indiana, Iowa, and Missouri. Day-to-day

MABAS extra alarms are systematically designed to provide speed of response of emergency resources to

the stricken community during an ongoing emergency.

MABAS also offers specialized operations teams for hazardous materials, underwater rescue/recovery,

technical rescue and incident management teams. MABAS is a unique organization in that every MABAS

participant agency has signed the same contract with their 1,100 plus counterpart MABAS agencies. A

MABAS agency agrees to: standards of operation, incident command, minimal equipment staffing, safety

and on-scene terminology. MABAS agencies, regardless of their geopolitical origin, are able to work

together seamlessly on any emergency scene. All MABAS agencies operate on a common radio frequency

(IFERN) and are activated for response through pre-designed “run” cards each participating agency designs

and tailors to meet their local risk need. MABAS also provides mutual aid station coverage to a stricken

community when their fire/EMS resources are committed to an incident for an extended period.

The MABAS system in Illinois is split into geographical areas called divisions, and Darien-Woodridge

belongs to Division 10.

MABAS Division 10 Mission Statement

MABAS Division Ten is committed to assisting it’s members to protect life, property and environment by

providing an organizational framework for members to share resources in a cost effective and safe manner.

Division 10 members are: Argonne Fire Department, Brookfield Fire Department, Clarendon Hills Fire

Department, Darien-Woodridge Fire Protection District, Forest View Fire Department, Hinsdale Fire

Department, LaGrange Fire Department, LaGrange Park Fire Department, Lemont Fire Protection District,

Lyons Fire Department, McCook Fire Department, Pleasantview Fire Protection District, Riverside Fire

Department, Romeoville Fire Department, Tri-State Fire Protection District, Western Springs Fire

Department, Westmont Fire Department, and Willow Springs Fire Protection District.

16

DIVISION REPORTS

D.C. Jay Worden

Dispatching

We became a member of DU-COMM in 2011. DU-COMM handles calls for over

32 different agencies from one center in Glendale Heights, and covers the majority

of DuPage county fire and police agencies. DU-COMM also dispatches for both

Darien and Woodridge Police Departments, so the majority of our calls for service

are handled through DU-COMM, which allows for a more effective system of

dispatch since fire and police are located in the same center which reduces the

delay that can occur when calls need to be transferred from agency to agency. All

9-1-1 calls, radio fire alarms and other emergency calls go through the combined

center.

To increase the efficiency of our units, laptop computers

were installed in all front line vehicles this year. As the call

is dispatched, it is simultaneously sent to the assigned

vehicles’ computers. This allows personnel instant access

to any pertinent information regarding the incident. These

computers also hold our district map pages, as well as the

preplans of our buildings.

Communications and Radios – assisted by Lt Gorsky This division handles the purchase, installation, repair, programming, upgrading, and any

compliance issues relating to the radios mounted in the vehicles or the portable radios carried by

personnel. In 2012, we have moved into compliance with the FCC narrow banding requirements.

We also have placed the majority of the new Starcom 21 radios in service that were part of the

DuPage Emergency Telephone System Board interoperability project. This project was designed to

allow all the agencies in DuPage County to be able to communicate with each other in both day to

day operations and in large complex incidents and disasters. Because of the Starcom 21 system

design, we can also use the same radio system for state-wide disasters and mutual aid requests from

the Wisconsin border to Southern Illinois.

This Division also deals with phones, both regular and cellular, station communication systems and

fire reporting and documentation. In 2012, we have upgraded the phone systems in both Station 2

and 3 due to their age and lack of available repair parts. We also changed our cellular phone carrier

due to serious coverage issues with our old vendor.

Fire Investigation The Darien-Woodridge Fire District investigates all fires in an effort to determine the origin, cause,

and circumstances of the fire. It is important to know whether the fire was caused by defective or

hazardous appliances and equipment, improper or negligent actions or was an intentionally set fire.

Beginning in 2012, our investigation van, 686, is now due on all Box Alarm fire investigations in

MABAS Division 10. This allows our members to increase their fire investigation experience and

17

also assist other local departments. Lt. James Karasek applied for and received a grant from FM

Global for updated camera equipment for the van. This updated camera equipment will help

improve the scene documentation of the fire scene. This equipment is available for use throughout

MABAS Division 10.

Members of this team include D/C Worden, Lt. Karasek, Lt. Dale, Lt. Phillips, Lt. Gorsky and Lt.

Isley, Firefighters Lahanis, Lamb and Tunk. D/C Worden, Lt. Gorsky and FF Lahanis are also

members of the DuPage County Fire Investigation Task Force.

B.C. Cooper

Mobile and Portable Equipment

A large quantity of hand tools were acquired this year to bring the stations and

vehicles to a good hand tool inventory. These prove important especially when

considering how much work is done in-house to save money, rather than to send it

out for repair.

Our ladders and pumps are tested

by annually by Underwriters

Laboratory. This year third party

testing was expanded to include the hose carried on

the apparatus. This move frees up our personnel,

while at the same time providing for a consistency

in the way that all hose is tested and determined to

have failed or pass, and it is done much quicker.

This year over 17,000 feet of hose was tested in

only two days, as opposed to the two – three week

time frame our personnel typically required. After

some negotiations, a three year contact was entered

into as a means to save money.

With the delivery of a new ladder truck in late summer, a good amount of time was spent

combining the equipment from the old squad and truck to determine the equipment needs for the

new truck. Needless to say, the many cabinets on the new truck meant a lot of hours were involved

in making shelves, brackets, mounting equipment, etc. and locating it in its best position.

B.C. Maggio

Haz-Mat The District is a member of the Division 10 West Side Hazardous Materials Team.

B/C Maggio is the team Coordinator. Other members from Darien-Woodridge are

FF/PM Robin Skamser and Lt. James Karasek. The Hazardous Materials Team

handles incidents for Division 10, and also may be deployed as part of a statewide

response team in the event of a weapons of mass destruction (WMD) incident. The

team members are required to attend monthly trainings in order to remain certified

as hazardous materials technicians.

18

During the month of April, the West Side Team trained on responding to a WMD event in

preparation for the NATO Chicago Summit Conference held in May. Had an incident occurred, the

team would have responded to the City of Chicago to assist other hazardous materials teams.

Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA)

The new SCBA acquired through a FEMA grant, have been in service for one year. All of our

department personnel continually train on the operation and safety features of the SCBA. Each year,

they are flow tested by a trained repair technician to make sure that the proper amount of breathing

air is being supplied to our firefighters.

Building Maintenance

The building maintenance division is responsible for preventive and remedial maintenance of

building components (HVAC, electrical, plumbing, carpentry, painting, etc.) at all three District

stations. In addition to interior maintenance, the division is responsible for the proper care and

upkeep of the landscaping. B/C Maggio heads up the building maintenance division, and is

supported by three senior officers, one at each station: Lt. James Karasek, Lt. Rick Sanborn, and Lt.

Vince Phillips.

Because of funding received from the refinancing of District bonds, the building maintenance

division was able to complete some major projects this year. The following improvements were

completed: Station 1 - replaced west side apron and installed concrete pads for training hydrants,

installed new HVAC control software, installed new steam humidifiers. Station 2 - installed two

new hanging furnaces, replaced front sidewalk to comply with ADA standards and replaced east

apron (Note: north sidewalk was replaced at no additional charge), replaced gutters and

downspouts. Station 3 - installed three new furnaces, air conditioners, and humidifiers; replaced

front sidewalk to comply with ADA standards, and replaced curb and front apron; replaced west

side windows; replaced west entrance door.

The building maintenance division has been working on a five-year maintenance plan for all three

stations. The first phase of the plan was completed this year. Due to the age of the buildings, our

repairs and equipment replacements have increased. Just as with a personal residence, fire station

furnaces, air conditioners, roofs, driveways, parking areas, washers, dryers, etc. need to be repaired

or replaced when they are no longer functional. The repairs completed this year will provide our

personnel a safe and functional environment.

B.C. Mahn

Safety

The Safety Committee is responsible for conducting research, developing

recommendations, and studying and reviewing all matters pertaining to safety. The

committee is comprised of District personnel from all levels and job

classifications.

The concern for safety and health applies to all members of the District and any

other persons who may be involved in District activities. The District works to

reduce the likelihood of sustaining accidents and injuries by maintaining a work

force that is both physically and mentally fit.

19

The committee reviews policies pertaining to health and safety. This input provides an opportunity

for free discussion of accident problems and preventive measures, suggestions for improving safety,

and makes safety an integral part of operating policies and procedures.

A safety grant was obtained this year from the Illinois Public Risk Fund for $16,000. This money

was used for upgrading all personal protective clothing, which includes structural firefighting

helmets, coats, pants, boots, hoods and gloves.

Technical Rescue Team

The District has assumed a major role as primary responders to rescue incidents that involve,

among other things, structural collapse, trench cave-in, confined spaces, industrial and agricultural

machinery, water emergencies, and people trapped above and below grade level. These emergencies

are grouped into a category of rescue called technical rescue.

Technical rescue incidents are often complex, requiring specially trained personnel and special

equipment to complete the mission. Natural forces such as earth tremors, precipitation, temperature

extremes, and swift water currents often complicate technical rescue incidents. Terrorism and other

incidents have kept the team busy preparing for any type of response.

The District belongs to the MABAS Division 10 Technical Rescue Team which is made up of 12

departments or districts that pool their resources and personnel to make up the team. The team

trains monthly on different disciplines to keep current in skills. All personnel are required to attend

a validation process once a year. The validation process tests their skills and knowledge.

The team members from Darien-Woodridge put in close to 100 hours or training in all disciplines to

keep their skills in a ready state. All members are issued a set of protective clothing to use for

training or incidents. Because of the type of responses and training their regular fire gear is bulky

and is destroyed quicker. All rescue equipment belonging to the team is kept on a rescue apparatus

that is ready at any time to respond. The team is also available for a state response and can be

deployed within one hour.

Lt. Dale

Quartermaster

The quartermaster division has had a busy year. Many new sets of turnout gear

ensembles wee received, in addition to replacement sets of older gear. The District

received another grant from the Illinois Public Risk Fund that substantially offset

the costs. One shift will be fitted for their new gear starting in January of 2013.

The division remains on pace to have all full time personnel fully compliant with

turn out gear by 2015, according to NFPA standard 1971.

Station uniform purchasing was made easier this year after partnering with an in-

district vendor. They have been instrumental in reducing increasing overhead costs to the District

by filling orders on an individual basis.

20

The division has also gone to paperless inventory tracking and control for all firefighting issued

equipment. The new system will keep track of that equipment through the FireHouse software

program. We will continue to work on increasing efficiencies and cost containment. I would like to

thank Lt. Lino and FF/PM Tunk for their continued help with the division.

Lt. Gorsky

Vehicle Maintenance The Darien-Woodridge Fire District Fleet Maintenance Division is responsible for the motorized apparatus,

Mobile Intensive Care Units (Ambulances) and staff/command vehicles used to provide services to the

public.

Every day, the vehicles are checked to ensure that all equipment is present and functioning for the

oncoming shift. Personnel perform minor vehicle repairs in-house and maintain the fleet in a

response-ready condition. Vehicles being found in need of repair outside the capabilities or scope of

expertise of the duty personnel are prioritized and sent to a service center with Certified Emergency

Vehicle Technicians for the required work. In addition, all fire suppression vehicles are required to

undergo annual pump testing and specialized vehicles, like aerial ladders, must undergo and pass

testing from Underwriters Laboratory.

Each of the front line fire engines and ladder truck carry advanced life support equipment, which in a

medical emergency, allows paramedics on these units to begin advanced life support care prior to the arrival

of the ambulance.

Over the past year, significant changes have occurred within both the division and the fleet which

are anticipated to reduce the costs of operations.

In the spring of 2012, the Fire District placed in

service a 2012 Chevy Tahoe SSV (Special Service

Vehicle) as a new Command Vehicle for the daily

Battalion Chief. The SSV designation identifies it

as a vehicle specifically designed for the challenges

of emergency response and it includes a command

post array in the rear of the vehicle along with

advanced communications capabilities.

21

In addition, the Fire District placed in service a

2012 Ford Escape as a staff vehicle for the Fire

Prevention Bureau. This vehicle replaced a 1999

Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor that was

removed from service because of safety &

maintenance concerns. The Escape will serve as a

reliable vehicle for fire inspections, public

education and interagency meetings and will

provide for a significant improvement in fuel and

maintenance costs.

In June of 2012, the Fire District took delivery

of a 2012 Pierce Velocity Quint. The vehicle

was specified and designed by members of the

Fire District based on a “needs analysis” and is

equipped with a 105’ heavy-duty steel ladder,

1,500 gallon per minute fire pump, 500 gallons

of water, substantial hydraulic electric generator

and compartments that house general

firefighting equipment, a full complement of

various diameter fire hose, heavy-rescue tools,

hazardous material monitors and Advanced Life

Support paramedic gear. After more than three full months of driving and operating training on the

vehicle, it was placed in service at the headquarters station which is centrally located in the Fire

District.

In November, the Fire District also took delivery

of two new MedTec Mobile Intensive Care

Units (Ambulances) on Ford F-450 chasses.

Initially, the intent was to replace the front-line

ambulance housed at the headquarters station on

Lyman Avenue. That unit, a 2006 Lifeline, had

accumulated 129,000 miles in a relatively short

time. During the planning and specification

stage of the bid process, the Fire District and the

Darien-Woodridge Professional Firefighters Association, the local union, came to an agreement that

allowed the financial ability to place in service a second ambulance which was shut down in 2006

due to budget shortfalls. As such, a second unit was ordered after an analysis of the current and

future maintenance costs associated with the older ambulances proved to be in the best interest of

the Fire District and its residents.

Both of the new Mobile Intensive Care Units are four-wheel drive capable and will provide for a

substantially more comfortable ride for the patients in addition to considerably more room for the

attending medics to provide for their care.

22

The District was able to accommodate a majority of these long overdue replacements through a

refinancing of current debt. That refinancing provided a much need boost to the capital budget and

as result of these vehicle purchases, the Fleet Maintenance Division will realize a substantial

reduction in associated costs as a result of extended warranty coverage and new vehicle

technologies.

In addition to the acquisition of the vehicles listed, the District also removed from service vehicles

that were deemed unsafe to operate and/or had far exceeded their useful life. Due to the age and

condition of these vehicles, none were sold or auctioned off. They were repurposed to the Training

Division for automobile extrication training and cut apart for needed practice. As a result of their

removal from service, the District will need to build up the fleet of cars/SUV’s, but not to previous

levels.

In the coming year, the Fleet Maintenance Division will seek funds to replace a Command Vehicle

for the Fire Chief and move the current unit to reserve/general use in addition to planning the

replacement of a 1973 Pierce Mini-Pumper Brush Truck that has served the District well, but has

become cost prohibitive to repair along with serious difficulty in finding parts. Currently, the

Division is exploring the option of a six wheel drive utility vehicle with off-road fire and rescue

capabilities to coincide with the needs of the Fire District.

The Fleet Maintenance Division has worked diligently to identify areas of cost savings,

improvement & consolidation and will continue to analyze and evaluate its operations and the fleet

in order to make adjustments as warranted to increase efficiencies and maintain the fleet in a state

of readiness.

Major Front Line Vehicles

Type Number of

Responses

Year

Purchased

Front Line

Life Expectancy Mileage

Replacement

Cost Today

Truck 619 1,076 2012 15 years $840,000

Batt. Chief 681 400 2012 8 years

Ambulance 614 1,513 2005 8 years $175,000

Ambulance 634 93 1999 8 years $175,000

Ambulance 635 5 1995 8 years 133,700 $175,000

Engine 611 44 1990 10 years 37,100 $500,000

Engine 621 700 2002 10 years 68,000 $500,000

Engine 631 1,104 2001 10 years 96,500 $400,000

Lt. Sanborn

Emergency Medical Service

The Fire District provides first response Advanced Life Support (ALS) service

for our community through two ambulances, and ALS equipment carried on all

front line fire vehicles. This means any fire unit arriving on a scene can begin

ALS care upon their arrival. This means faster access to care from paramedics.

Some of the procedures they can perform include advanced airway control,

intravenous (IV) access, medication administration, cardiac monitoring,

23

interpretation, and treatment. These highly trained paramedic are both career and part-time

members who work together with our Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) to transport the

patients to several regional hospitals.

When someone calls 9-1-1, the dispatcher immediately sends the appropriate ALS units to the call.

Once that is done, our dispatcher (all of whom are trained as Emergency Medical Dispatchers)

provide instructions over the phone to assist the caller in providing care for the patient until the

arrival of the emergency units. The result is care that begins immediately, and continues until the

Fire District arrives and assumes care until the patient arrives at the hospital.

Darien-Woodridge continues to be a leader and innovator in out-of-hospital care. These include 12-

lead EKG’s, CPAP (an advanced airway care procedure) ability of capnographic monitoring

(scheduled in the near future). The District continues to be recognized by Good Samaritan Hospital

for outstanding care and EMS program management. Good Shepard Hospital is tasked by the State

with regulating all EMS and hospital activity in Regional 8 – our region.

Aside from excellent care, one of the requirements of an EMS program is to have a quality

assurance program (QA/QI). The model for QA is founded in concert with our resource hospital

Good Samaritan.

This year was special, year two times over, in that the Fire District identified the need to form a

committee to spec out and order not 1, but 2, advanced life support ambulances! Working in

cooperation with the Fire District Administration and Collective Bargaining Unit, and agreement

was reached that allowed for an increase in staffing to place a second ambulance in service at

Station 3, increasing the Fire District’s chance that a District ambulance would respond to a call

rather than needing to rely heavily on the resources from another community.

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

450

500

550

Paramedic First Impression

24

583 565

Gender Breakdown

Female Male

0

50

100

150

200

250

Age of Patient <1

1-4

5-9

10-14

15-24

25-34

35-44

45-54

55-64

65-74

75-84

>85

Unknown

48

86

813

126

40

173

Receiving Hospital

Bolingbrook

Edward

Good Samaritan

Hinsdale

LaGrange

No Transport

25

Lt. Tabisz

Public Education

During 2012 almost 6,000 people were contacted through District activities. CPR

and other medical classes continue to the one of the main demands of this

program, with companies from outside the District asking for classes due to the

quality of the program.

Our annual Open House was the best attended in many years, with estimates of

500 people having attended the event. There were many interactive active displays

in the station, and outside demonstrations such as auto extrication, an actual “fire

response”, and two room actual fires to demonstrate fire sprinkler systems.

We continue to be the recipient of a Walmart grant to continue the Shop with a Hero program. This

program was instituted by Walmart many years ago and is when many firefighters and police

officers take underprivileged kids within our districts to purchase Christmas presents for their

family. This continues to be one of the best public relations tools we have for the families of these

kids, not to mention the impact is has on those who volunteer to make the program a reality.

Director Morris

Fire Prevention

This year was relatively uneventful. We continue to have minor remodeling to

businesses moving in and out of existing shopping centers. In our District we are

fortunate to have very few unoccupied business spaces.

The City of Darien is upgrading the building and fire codes, and we offered

comments to amend the codes to make certain that we maintain requirements that

are currently on the books.

Regarding new construction, a religious study facility and a new day care were opened. However,

our biggest new project was the Edward Don building. Their business moved their corporate offices

to Woodridge and built an approximately 350,000 square foot warehouse/office building. That

business opened in the fall. Walmart is planning on expanding, and the first step of tearing the

future spaces was begun this year.

Due to some redistricting done by the District, and annexation made by Downers Grove, new maps

were created and distributed.

Due to the company inspection program, the new construction, and remodeling of existing spaces,

preplans continue the need to be modified or created. Upgrades are done to the books in the

vehicles several times throughout the year so they will have most accurate information possible.

Routine annual inspections of all public buildings are conducted to see that they are safe for the

general public. To assist Fire Prevention, the shift personnel conduct inspections of the smaller

multifamily occupancies. In addition they are all given copies of existing preplans to see that they

are still accurate. If not, they are forwarded to the Bureau for updating and dissemination. The

26

Bureau also reviews building plans for any new public building or any building undergoing

renovation, to make certain it will be constructed according to the fire codes.

Fire Prevention and shift personnel performed 1,342 activities during the year, as noted in the chart

below, and noted 854 violations.

Number and Types of Fire Prevention Activities

Annual

Insps

Re-Insps Company

Insps

Knox Box

Activities

Final

Insps

Plan

Reviews

Complaints Other

383 235 315 21 62 52 1 273

Number of Occupancies by Building Class

Lt. Skrabel

Training

During the calendar year of 2012, members of the District received a combined

total of 10,582 hours of training. Daily drills are assigned from Monday through

Saturday. Training usually starts at 9 A.M, and typically lasts between two to three

hours. Most drills are taught by the company officer and are done in-house

(keeping the company in their station and response area). However to train as a

shift, some drills require all three stations to get together and train.

All drills follow the Office of the State Fire Marshal objectives, in addition to

requirements by other governing agencies as the Illinois Department of Labor, OSHA, and NFPA.

Not all the training a firefighter does is done while on-duty. A lot of the firefighters attend classes

outside the fire station. Most of these classes are specialized training and are forty (40) hours long.

Typical classes would include:

Confined Space Rescue

Hazard Materials Training

High-Angle Rescue

Collapse Rescue

Advanced Auto Extrication Techniques

Water Rescue

Assembly Business Day

Care Educational Industrial Institutional Mercantile

Multi-

Family Storage

69 239 7 6 40 2 167 476 5

6.7% 23.5% .06% .5% 3.9% 0.1% 16.4% 46.8% 0.4%

27

For those members wishing to advance themselves within the fire service, there are specialized

classed designed to help them in their role as a fire officer. Those classes would include:

Instructor I & II

Management I, II, III and IV

Strategy & Tactic’s I & II

Fire Prevention Principles

The Darien-Woodridge Fire Protection District is fortunate that the headquarters station has a large

training room, capable of seating 65, along with a training tower. The station also has a four story

training tower. This allows the on-duty firefighters a chance to practice their skills over and over

again. The tower is where firefighters practice putting out ACTUAL FIRES. Fires can be set under

controlled situations on both the first and third floors. During live fire training, the firefighters

practice:

Pulling hose off the fire engine and advancing it into the building and putting the fire out

Perform search and rescue (looking for trapped or unconscious people)

Perform ladder raises and rescue (carrying unconscious people down the ladder)

Perform ventilation by break windows or cut holes in the roof (lets heat and smoke out)

28

AWARDS/CERTIFICATIONS The following personnel are recognized as having reached a milestone in the career with

Darien-Woodridge, and/or who have attained various certifications during 2012.

SERVICE AWARDS CERTRIFICATIONS ATTAINED

10 Years

Keith Kaschub

10 Years

Bob Klein

20 Years

Jim McGill

25 Years

Tom Mahn

Val Feld

Employee of the Year

Jay Worden

Award of Merit

Mark Cooper

Jim Skrabel

Steve Gorsky

Jay Breitsameter

Dan Fagan

Brian Isley

Darren Lino

Joe Molinari

Mick Schleich

Sue Sircher

Brian Skopec

Tom Trapp

Jamie Tunk

Robert Morris

Basic Firefighter

Matt Krall

Advanced Firefighter

Michael Schleich

Fire Service Vehicle

Operator

John Tabisz

Dan Vaci

Instructor 1 Nick Anastos

Michael Schleich

Brian Skopec

Instructor 2 Michael Schleich

Fire Investigator

Brian Isley

Jimmy Lahanis

Shawn Lamb

Jamie Tunk

Fire Officer 1 Provisional

Michael Schleich

Brian Skopec

Fire Officer 2

Erik Baran

Seth Dale

Haz Mat Ops

Matt Krall

Suzanne Sircher

Vehicle and Machinery Ops

Erik Baran

Technical Rescue

Awareness

Erik Baran

Seth Dale

Matt Krall

Rescue Specialist Confined

Space

Shawn Lamb

Trench Ops

Shawn Lamb

Juvenile Firesetter

Specialist

Shawn Lamb

John Tabisz

Jamie Tunk

Fire Apparatus Engineer

Neil Brown

Dan DiFatta

Dan Firlit

Michael Moran

Michael Schleich

Joe Rizzatto

Suzanne Sircher

Tom Trapp

Dan Vaci

Michael Zessemos

29

20 Years

Jim McGill

25 Years

Tom Mahn Val Feld

30

Darien-Woodridge Fire District, by the Numbers in 2012…

The average age of a firefighter is 35.54

The average years of experience with the District is 9.06 for all suppression personnel

The Fire District responded to 2,336 incidents, involving 10,154 man-hours

The 2,336 incidents required a total of 4,909 vehicle responses

There were 6.38 calls per day

There was one call every 3.76 hours

There was one medical call every 5.78 hours

There was one non-medical call every 10.75 hours

The average length of time for all incidents was 55 minutes

The average length of time for a medical call was 1 hour 8 minutes

The average length of time for a non-medical call was 31 minutes

Mutual aid was requested 288 times

Mutual aid was provided 150 times

The average response time for the first unit to arrive was 4 minutes 46 seconds

The average response time for the second unit to arrive was 6 minutes 11 seconds

Total fire loss was $543,825

The average fire loss per fire incident was $8,632

The average structure fire loss was $50,000

The total value of the property that was involved in the fires was $6,150,250. This equates to a “value

saved” of 91.16 %

31

0

451 4:52 3:39 3:17 3:15 3:50 4:44

5:38 4:47 4:06 4:36 4:18 5:58

5:05 3:57 3:13 5:31 6:09 5:50

4:50 5:10 4:02 4:44 5:15

5:17 6:17 4:50 5:01

6:23 7:15

I-55 7:56

5:29 5:30 4:38 5:37

5:23 5:01 6:04

4:26 0

3:31 4:23 1:00

5:16 3:54 4:56

3:27 0

5:35

Emergency Response Times by Map Grid for the First Arriving Unit

32

0

52 49 61 78 108 14 136

16 23 64 119 86 84

45 57 120 14 29 88

45 12 19 56 20

29 26 11 0

11 8

I-355 1

I-55 57

Out 156

37 144 45 87

46 58 20

47 0

58 22 1

14 43 16

3 0

1

Calls by Map Grid

33

Fire Loss by Map Grid

10,000

2,000 25,500

1,000

100

1,200

3,000

3,750

50

500 200,000

2,700

3,200 254,000

18,300

25

I-55 18,500

34

942

361

821

57 1 154

Dist 1

Dist 2

Dist 3

I-55

I-355

Out

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Argone

Bolingbrook

Downers Grove

Lemont

Lisle-Woodridge

Pleasantview

Tri-State

Westmont

Other

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Argone

Bolingbrook

Downers Grove

Lemont

Lisle-Woodridge

Pleasantview

Tri-State

Westmont

Other

Calls by District

Mutual Aid Given

Mutual Aid Received

35

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

0

50

100

150

200

250

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

Calls by Month

Fire/EMS by Month

Calls by Day of Week

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

FIRE

EMS

36

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

180

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Total Hours

0:00 14 11 13 4 9 4 10 65

1:00 13 9 5 8 9 2 9 55

2:00 8 10 7 4 8 7 8 52

3:00 8 7 7 9 7 8 5 51

4:00 5 4 4 9 6 5 14 47

5:00 6 8 6 6 10 10 8 54

6:00 8 7 8 8 11 7 9 58

7:00 12 14 8 12 10 11 10 77

8:00 11 8 11 12 12 14 9 77

9:00 13 23 16 23 19 18 16 128

10:00 11 17 19 18 18 19 13 115

11:00 11 27 12 19 21 22 18 130

12:00 20 20 25 21 19 22 18 145

13:00 10 16 18 24 25 20 23 136

14:00 15 20 22 20 9 19 20 125

15:00 15 16 18 20 22 16 20 127

16:00 23 19 15 24 14 29 32 156

17:00 16 15 23 20 18 23 23 138

18:00 16 12 23 17 16 20 17 121

19:00 7 15 14 12 19 20 17 104

20:00 17 14 16 19 17 14 12 109

21:00 16 17 12 19 14 11 15 104

22:00 6 17 12 14 11 15 13 88

23:00 7 10 10 10 10 9 17 73

288 336 324 352 334 345 356

Calls by Time of Day

Day/Time Matrix

37

2161

175

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

Emergent Non Emergent

321,000

479,534 457,425

330,425

657,575

90,280

428,000

954,135

751,920

376,750

681,350 720,250

485,350

545,325

0

200,000

400,000

600,000

800,000

1,000,000

1,200,000

1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005* 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

Fire Loss

*2006 also had a $6,000,000 fire at the Com Ed substation

Emergent and Non-Emergent Calls

38

Calls per 1,000 Population*

*Based on a service area of 30,000 people

Types of Responses

2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

Fires 133 93 92 88 83 98 68 108

Building 66 56 51 55 51 66 45 65

Vehicle 16 19 10 10 12 6 7 9

Other 51 18 31 23 20 26 16 34

Overpressure/Ruptures 1 4 1 1 6 2 2 2

EMS 1367 1460 1474 1534 1418 1458 1469 1519

Hazardous Conditions 95 89 97 112 71 82 78 64

Service Calls 190 104 155 114 145 126 115 146

Good Intent 172 148 183 178 150 151 211 143

False 733 609 668 664 577 559 533 353

Other 3 7 3 1 0 2 0 1

Total 2,694 2,515 2,640 2,692 2,450 2,478 2,476 2336

5:09 5:20 5:17 5:16 5:01 4:46

6:46 6:46 6:45 6:51 6:29 6:11

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

Average 1st and 2nd Vehicle Arrival Times

1st Vehicle

2nd Vehicle

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

Fire

EMS

Total

39

Grants

Grants Applied For since 2002

(39 Applications)

Vehicles $3,865,000

Public Education $98,400

Air Packs $443,650

Staffing $1,886,868

Other $748,086

$5,558,306

$475,826

$1,007,872

Denied

Received

Pending

40

2012 INCIDENTS/ACTIVITIES

1533 77th

– house fire 7440 Woodward – roof rescue

I-55 at Lemont – fuel leak I-55 at Lemont – car/truck crash

41

Significant Incidents

February 20 7325 Woodward $25,500

Apartment fire

Cause: arson

March 21 1533 77th

$225,000

House fire

Cause: contractors working on bathroom pipes

May 18 9S280 Woodcreek $200,000 House fire

Cause: combustibles too close to heat source

Mutual Aid Box Alarm System incidents in District

March 21 1533 77th Box alarm – house fire

October 11 1524 Darien Lake Box alarm – townhouse fire