Mount Prospect firefighters union raises concerns over engine relocation

Mount Prospect’s firefighters union is sounding the alarm about the relocation of an engine from its headquarters station at 111 Rand Road.

The engine has been relocated to the department’s newest station at 1415 E. Algonquin Road, which the fire department inherited and refurbished when the Elk Grove Rural Fire Protection District disbanded.

The engine had been used as the primary vehicle for fire suppression. That function has now been usurped by a tower truck, which will have one additional firefighter/paramedic.

In 2016, former Fire Chief John Malcolm pushed to house the engine at headquarters, then located downtown on Northwest Highway.

Now that drama has been revived on social media by Mount Prospect Firefighters International Association of Firefighters Local 4119.

The union noted on Facebook there are key differences between the engine and the tower. The engine is “equipped for direct fire suppression, carrying over 700 gallons of water and multiple hose lines.”

It allows firefighters to start fighting fires immediately or during challenging wintry weather conditions.

“It carries more water. It carries a bigger complement of hose,” said Matthew Takoy, the union’s president.

The tower, union officials said, carries less than 300 gallons of water and is primarily a unit put to use in rescue and aerial operations.

Takoy said the move will affect the response north of the railroad tracks.

“We’re getting busier,” he said. “All the towns around us are getting busier. Could the tower put out a fire? Sure. It carries hose and it carries 300 gallons of water. But it just takes that much longer to get on the road and get going. And we don’t have the initial volume of water in the tower for initial attacks.”

Mount Prospect fire officials defended the move.

Fire Chief John Dolan said the engine, although not housed at headquarters, is still “manned, staffed and available to serve the entire community. Every fire gets all our apparatus, regardless where it is.”

Deputy fire Chief Tom Wang said having the tower at headquarters as the primary vehicle is not a new concept.

“We’re one of a dozen towns that do that,” Wang added. “We're not doing anything that other towns aren't doing.”

Dolan also pointed out that at least 75% of calls are for emergency medical services, and that each of the four fire stations has an ambulance.

“We consider ourselves way ahead of the curve,” Dolan said.

“We have four ambulances full time,” Wang said. “We're one of only three towns in this area that have four full-time ambulances.”