Part 3: Barrington fire services mull the future

NOTE TO READERS: This is part three of a three-part series on the pending split between the Barrington Fire Department and the Barrington Countryside Fire Protection District. To explore the different perspectives on split, part one is from the perspective of the Barrington Countryside Fire Protection District. Part two looks at village's side, and part three compiles the opinions of Barrington area residents and fire personnel.

BARRINGTON – Jim Goodwin is concerned about what his neighbors know – and don’t know – about the pending split of the Barrington Countryside Fire Protection District from the Barrington Fire Department.

“What infuriates me is the lack of education in the community,” said Goodwin, a Barrington firefighter and 26-year village resident. “This split is not going to work.”

His concerns are echoed by others in the community. Mike Delillo, who has been a career firefighter for 15 years in another community, said his biggest worry for 2014 is the safety of his family.

As of Jan. 1, the district and village will have separate fire departments, ending the decades-long intergovernmental agreement implemented to share resources and costs.

Both entities plan to spend the next few months determining how the two departments will operate – but the decisions being made aren’t necessarily reassuring to residents concerned about public safety in their communities.

“Every second counts,” Delillo said. “All automatic aid contracts with surrounding departments cease to exist on Dec. 31, 2013, when the village becomes a new department. If they staff as proposed, they have nothing to offer, and I’m not sure other towns will be very receptive to an agreement.”

One community, 2 fire departments

The BCFPD notified the village in September 2012 that it wished to terminate the intergovernmental agreement. The district wanted to hire more staffing and buy additional equipment for its two stations, but was unable to because the intergovernmental agreement stipulates that the village needs to sign off on such hires and purchases.

As of now, all firefighters for the two entities are village employees. Come Jan. 1, the village plans to keep 18 fire and EMS personnel on staff and lay off 19 people.

The fire district plans to hire 20 of the laid-off village firefighters/paramedics through at-will contracts with Paramedic Services of Illinois but hopes – if a referendum that would establish a tax to pay for pensions and accompanying state legislation are approved – to eventually employ them directly.

With 18 employees, five firefighters/paramedics would be on every shift, in addition to one assistant chief, one lieutenant and three staff for the engine and ambulance.

Barrington firefighter and union president Eric Brouilette said the village could fail to meet multiple safety system standards in 2014 based on its staffing proposals.

According to the website for Northwest Community EMS System, EMS providers joining the system – which the village will in 2014 – must staff a minimum of six licensed paramedics per ambulance, plus three additional EMS personnel (one per shift) who could supplement staffing.

He called surrounding fire departments and verified that none operate on two-staff ambulances. And firefighters said an increase to two ambulances will not enhance safety when it comes to overlapping calls even with additional response from outside the village.

“Our operation is seamless right now,” said Ed Hartman, a Barrington fire lieutenant. “We can’t rely on other departments who have their own calls to handle. It’s a fire standard to have automatic aid, but not when it comes to gas leaks or EMS calls.”

Fire commission member Larry Lincoln agreed that EMS is the larger issue for 2014.

“How can other departments justify that they’re in Barrington for an EMS call, leaving their own station empty?” he said. “The first five minutes of an EMS call are critical.”

But Steve Miller, former village trustee and now a district resident, said he doesn’t foresee a loss of fire or EMS service for Barrington area residents.

“Automatic aid is a great system,” he said. “Obviously, more firefighters would be great, but the costs and infrastructure of adding firefighters is a heavy responsibility, and the district was buying services from the smaller entity.”

Costs and concerns

The district’s request for additional personnel came as a result of a study by the Illinois Fire Chiefs Association. It has continued to use this association for advice in preparation for 2014.

Miller said he believes using fire experts for fire recommendations produces bias.

Bill Balling of WRB LLC consulting service prepared the village’s staffing recommendations. Beth Rasemen, a former village trustee, said she was impressed with Balling’s report given her 12 years of experience of reading consultant recommendations, calling it “insightful” and “detail-oriented.”

Lincoln said he is angered the village paid for a private consulting service. He said Balling’s report lacks understanding of fire and EMS operations, and also did not account for the cost of overtime, injury and senior personnel payroll.

Brouilette said the potential for injury disability will increase with the proposed staffing models, as well as insurance costs.

“The split is going to cost the village 150 percent of what fire service costs them now,” Brouilette said.

As a district resident, Miller is concerned additional costs will come in the form of equipment and administration, and that he cares about the firefighters and their families.

“People think we don’t care,” he said. “I’ve shed more than one tear thinking about the families who will be affected.”

Other firefighters are concerned about the turnover rates with contract service employment, such as the one set to be used by the district.

“Contract service employment is like a stepping stone or internship for firemen,” Barrington firefighter Vince Murphy said.

Brouilette said Barrington’s firefighters have trained and worked together for anywhere from three to 30 years.

“Over half our department has made it clear that they are testing for employment elsewhere and on their way out,” he said. “The village will be laying off people with thousands of certification and training hours.”

Rasemen said the split is both political and emotional.

“It would actually be easier to go forward with the status quo,” she said. “But we started to see it might be the right time.”

When asked what the Barrington area fire operations will look like at 12:01 a.m. Jan. 1, the firefighters and residents said they had no idea.

“Will anyone work for the village?” Lincoln said. “I’m scared to death.”