Excerpts from rrstar.com:
The Loves Park City Council is exploring new ways to enhance its volunteer fire department by introducing a daytime crew, aiming to reduce response times that are currently twice as slow as those of the neighboring North Park Fire Protection District.
Currently, the city's 35 volunteer firefighters respond from their homes when emergencies arise, which officials say contributes to the longer delays. To improve this, the city plans to have three firefighters and two supervisors stationed at the 400 Grand Ave. station from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., potentially starting in August. This initiative is expected to cut down on the time it takes for crews to arrive at the scene of an emergency.
The proposed day crew will be paid between $12 and $20 per hour, depending on experience. With an average of 28 hours per week, they won't be eligible for health insurance benefits. The program is estimated to cost the city up to $200,000 annually.
Data from the first three months of the year shows that Loves Park’s average response time was 15.2 minutes, compared to just 6 minutes in North Park, which serves the southern part of Machesney Park and some unincorporated areas of Winnebago County. Interestingly, response times didn’t vary much throughout the day.
Adding the daytime crew would increase the fire department’s annual budget by 33%, bringing it to around $1 million per year. For example, in one case, it took 27 minutes to reach 7349 Chucks Way, while calls to 12414 Kings Point Dr. and 5625 Covey Ridge Trail took 24 minutes each.
A recent auto aid agreement between Loves Park and North Park, signed in February, has already shown positive results. In March, average response times dropped to 13.3 minutes, down from 17.6 minutes in February and 15.3 minutes in January.
Despite these improvements, the city still faces significant logistical challenges. Mayor John Kowalski has expressed interest in building a new fire station, estimated to cost about $5 million. This new station would help improve response times near the upcoming Mercyhealth Sportscore Two complex and the Mercyhealth Hospital and Trauma Center, both under construction at the intersection of East Riverside Boulevard and Interstate 90.
However, because Loves Park doesn’t collect property taxes, the city must rely on bonds or seek voter approval for new tax revenue sources to fund such a project. These options come with their own set of hurdles, but the mayor remains committed to finding a solution that enhances public safety and emergency response efficiency.
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