Carpentersville eyes new rescue boats

The Carpentersville fire department could soon retire two of its longest serving employees.

The employees, though, aren't part of the department's work force, but part of its equipment list.

Village officials want to replace two fire department rescue boats -- which were bought in 1950 -- with two state-of-the-art vessels and an inflatable craft.

Village President Bill Sarto said the village is trying to include about $50,000 in the village's upcoming budget to cover the three boats.

The two rescue boats are expected to cost about $40,000, while the inflatable craft will cost $10,000.

"The audit and finance commission gave a pretty firm commitment to purchasing the rescue boats," Sarto said. "We need to replace the old boats, which are quite old and not the easiest to move."

Although the boats have served their purpose over the past five decades, Fire Chief John Schuldt said the department needed to upgrade the equipment.

"With the technology that is out there now, we do need to replace the boats to provide a safe environment for the employees," Schuldt said.

While the village had relied on the old 14-foot boats for more than 50 years, Village Manager Craig Anderson said the boat was not designed for rescue missions.

The old boats have a round hull, "which makes them less stable," Anderson said. "The new boats will have a flat hull, providing better stability."

East Dundee fire department uses a flat-hulled boat.

The inflatable boat would be used for water rescues in smaller bodies of water such as retention ponds, Schuldt said.

"With more development being built and more retention ponds going in, there's more possibility that we could be called out for a water rescue," Schuldt said. "We hope we never have to use them, but we probably have about one a year."

Last year, the fire department made two water rescues on the Fox River.