Barrington Countryside fire district OKs donation to support group

The Barrington Countryside Fire Protection District board of trustees meeting recently approved a $600 donation to a regional nonprofit group that provides field support services to more than 50 fire departments in Northeastern Illinois and Southeastern Wisconsin.

Metropolitan Emergency Support Services Inc. was founded in 1993 to provide on-site food, beverages, and other essentials to emergency responders in the field.

These services enable firefighters, paramedics and police officers to maintain operational effectiveness over long periods of time during large or lengthy incidents.

MESS services are supported by tax-deductible donations from the public and private sector.

The fire district’s contribution was funded by income from its Foreign Fire Tax Fund.

No taxpayer dollars were used.

MESS owns five specially equipped “canteen trucks” used to feed public safety providers. Its assets also include a mobile climate center for use in warming or cooling on-site personnel, and a mobile “washroom on wheels.”

MESS is dispatched through Illinois’ Mutual Aid Box Alarm System to multiple alarm fires. It has supported Barrington Fire Department operations often throughout the years, including twice in 2010 when firefighters and paramedics responded to large home fires.

For more information on MESS, visit 1800getmess.org.

The Barrington Countryside Fire Protection District receives emergency fire and medical service from the Barrington Fire Department, which is responsible for protecting the lives and property of district residents through an intergovernmental agreement between the district and village of Barrington.

The district serves portions of Barrington Hills, South Barrington, Lake Barrington and Inverness, and portions of unincorporated Cook, Lake and McHenry counties.

For details, visit bcfpd.org or call (847) 304-3600.