Excerpts from a Daily Herald article:
Last year, Stone Park Fire Chief Michael Paige received a gift when the Antioch Rescue Squad (ARS) offered to donate an old ambulance filled with medical equipment to his department. This was part of a larger effort by the squad to give away three ambulances to agencies outside its home base in Antioch and Antioch Township. However, the Antioch Fire Department was left out of this initiative.
In March 2014, the ARS initially approved a request for an ambulance, but just a month later, they reversed their decision. As a result, the Antioch Fire Department had to spend $69,000 in taxpayer funds to buy and equip a used ambulance. According to Fire Chief John Nixon, the ambulances and equipment originally came from donations made by local residents and organizations in Antioch. He expressed frustration that these resources weren’t shared with the community that helped fund them.
“We didn’t see one dime from the ARS, so we had to spend taxpayer money to bring in ambulances and equipment to protect our residents,†Nixon said. Despite multiple attempts to reach out, both the ARS chief, Brian DeKind, and president, Todd Thommes, did not respond to interview requests.
However, officials from the First Fire Protection District of Antioch believe the decision may have been influenced by the fact that the ARS was no longer contracted to provide rescue services. Instead, the Antioch Fire Department now handles those responsibilities. The fire department operates under the oversight of the village of Antioch, Antioch Township, and the First Fire Protection District.
According to Ted Jozefiak, the fire district administrator, DeKind never gave a clear reason for rejecting the donation. But he suggested it might be due to the ARS feeling “upset†about not being the main service provider. “I asked if we could have an ambulance, and he said yes. Then he called back and said the membership voted against it. They didn’t give us anything.â€
The relationship between the fire department and the ARS had already been strained since 2012, when several female members filed a sexual harassment lawsuit against the squad. An Illinois Department of Public Health investigation later revealed serious issues, including patient mistreatment, medication abuse, and employees starting shifts after heavy drinking.
A few months later, a former treasurer was charged with stealing over $10,000 and pleaded guilty. The previous chief, Wayne Sobczak, retired, and the president, Steve Smouse, stepped down shortly after. DeKind and Thommes took over, but tensions escalated further when the two sides failed to agree on a long-term contract in May 2013.
The fire department then turned to an ambulance contractor, but eventually decided to purchase its own vehicles. By 2014, the fire protection district board chose to consolidate rescue services under the fire department, leading to the ARS losing its contract. The squad’s ambulances and equipment were then donated to other departments, including Stone Park, the Lake County High Schools Technology Campus, and the Newport Township Fire Protection District.
Derrick Burress, principal of the tech campus, said the squad offered a $15,000 ambulance for educational use. It was accepted by the board and is now used daily to train EMS students, including those from Antioch. Meanwhile, Stone Park’s Chief Paige received a 2007 ambulance with over 100,000 miles, stocked with essential supplies like defibrillators and stretchers.
Mark Kirschhoffer of the Newport Fire District also received an ambulance from the ARS. He said it serves as a backup for their fleet and offered it to the Antioch Fire Department if needed. Nixon confirmed that the department now uses four ambulances, with three as primary units and one as a reserve.
To get the service up and running, the village board and fire district spent around $157,000 on two ambulances in 2013. Another was donated by the Antioch Firefighters Association in 2014, and a third was purchased in May of that year. After subtracting the firefighters’ association donation and a state insurance fund contribution, the total cost came to $232,000.
Nixon emphasized that had the ARS donated their vehicles, the department wouldn’t have needed to spend so much. “They had the opportunity to help, but they chose not to,†he said.
Printed Paper Bag,Custom Printed Gift Bags,Custom Printed Kraft Bags,Custom Kraft Paper Bags
Wenzhou Mingda Printing Industry Co., Ltd. , https://www.mingdaprinting.com