Prospect Hts. fire increases staffing due to weather

The Prospect Heights Fire District has increased its on-duty staff, allowing it to respond to an incident without the immediate need for assistance from other neighboring communities, the agency announced.

The increased staffing, which went into effect at 6 p.m. Saturday and comes in response to the brutal winter weather, ensures an extra ambulance is available and that the fire district’s water tanker can respond to any fire, not just in those areas without fire hydrants.

“In deep snow fire hydrant access can be difficult and in extreme cold water mains may break or hydrants freeze making them not usable,” Fire Chief Don Gould said. “The water tanker can improve response in these situations.”

So far there have been no fires or emergencies directly related to the severe weather. The fire chief recommends residents call 911 as soon as they recognize any problem and not wait as response time is already increased due to the severe weather.