St. Charles fire district hires consultant

St. Charles Countryside Fire Protection District officials hope a communications specialist will help the relatively unknown taxing body attract public interest.

The district's board of trustees voted unanimously this week to hire St. Charles-based consultant CT Creative to put together and carry out a communications strategy this year. The effort is expected to cost $80,000 to $90,000, officials said.

"One of the things we're very concerned about is making sure we determine the right methods of communication with the folks in the district," board President Ed Malek said Tuesday. "We want to make sure we touch as many people as possible."

The firm will spend its first 30 days putting together a "general plan" of action, which will outline what information needs to be communicated to residents and whether to do so through phone calls, mailers or other methods, Malek said.

It also will work to improve and build upon relationships with surrounding and overlapping taxing bodies, such as the villages of Campton Hills and Wayne, and several school districts, Malek said. By fall, the effort is expected to be in full swing.

"This will help us create better awareness of the district, as well as communicate a strategy and get feedback from residents," he said.

Malek noted the $90,000 expense is covered in the district's consulting budget and includes materials, postage and related costs.

The fire district provides ambulance and fire services to roughly 25,000 people in Campton Hills, Wayne and unincorporated St. Charles, although nearly all of the work is contracted out to the St. Charles' municipal fire department. Malek, who has made community outreach a priority since taking office last year, said much of the public remains unaware the district even exists.