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Chicago Ridge to buy quint
The Reporteronline.net recently published an article discussing how Chicago Ridge Fire Chief George Sheets is bringing a new approach to the department, inspired by his previous experience in Oak Lawn. Since taking over in July, Sheets has been focused on improving efficiency and cutting costs, and he’s already making moves to put that plan into action.
At a recent village board meeting, Sheets presented a proposal aimed at slashing the department’s vehicle maintenance budget by 50%. The plan involves upgrading the fleet, which currently includes 11 vehicles costing around $60,000 annually in maintenance. Sheets pointed out that the Oak Lawn Fire Department manages 18 vehicles with a smaller budget of $50,000, and as the chief there as well, he knows this firsthand.
As part of his strategy, Sheets proposed purchasing a quint — a combination pumper that functions as both an engine and a ladder truck. This single unit, he explained, can replace multiple vehicles, leading to greater efficiency and lower long-term costs. The quint comes with advanced firefighting technology, but it’s not cheap. A demo model could cost the village about $650,000, though Sheets suggested that state or federal grants might help cover some of the expense.
Although the village board didn’t approve the purchase immediately, they gave Sheets the green light to negotiate with the manufacturer. He warned that the price of a quint is expected to rise by 4% soon, and demo units don’t stay available for long due to their discounted rates.
Sheets also recommended retiring some older equipment, including an aerial truck and two pumpers — one of which is heavily rusted and in need of major repairs. He’s hoping to get more than the $164,000 offer he received for the three vehicles.
In addition to fleet upgrades, Sheets has taken steps to address false alarms. After reviewing data from 2013, which showed firefighters responding to 86 false alarms, he pushed for harsher penalties. The current ordinance now charges businesses $100 per false alarm starting from the second call, up from $25 after the seventh. He believes the previous rules were too lenient.
Sheets also highlighted the need to raise the ambulance fee, as the village’s rate was among the lowest in the region and hadn’t been updated in six years. His goal is to make the department more efficient, cost-effective, and better equipped to serve the community.