Crime & Safety

Palatine and Barrington Fire Districts Finalize Auto-Aid Agreement

An automatic aid agreement between the Barrington Countryside Fire Protection District and Palatine Rural Fire Protection District will take effect on Jan. 1, providing a premier level of fire and emergency medical services.

Leaders of the Barrington Countryside Fire Protection District (BCFPD) and Palatine Rural Fire Protection District (PRFPD) finalized an automatic aid agreement between the two entities that will provide residents of both districts with the highest levels of fire and emergency medical services, officials report.

It will take effect Jan. 1, 2014, when the BCFPD begins independent operations.

The agreement was formally approved by BCFPD trustees on Monday. The PRFPD Board of Trustees is expected to approve the agreement at a special meeting later this month.

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"Leaders from both districts negotiated in good faith to secure a balanced, equitable agreement that enhances the safety of all our residents," said BCFPD President Tom Rowan. "The chiefs worked very hard to develop this agreement and should be very proud of what they have accomplished. My fellow trustees and I certainly are."

"This agreement between Palatine Rural and Barrington Countryside has taken a bit longer than expected, but it ensures that our residents will receive a premier level of fire and emergency medical service," said Palatine Rural Fire Chief Hank Clemmensen.

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"As we began discussing how our respective organizations might help each other, our only consideration was to ensure that any agreement assisted in fulfilling our mission to provide excellence in service. That is the benchmark for everything we do," said BCFPD Fire Chief/Administrator Jeff Swanson.

The agreement calls for the BCFPD to provide a fire engine or water tanker vehicle (tender), as needed, for all structure fires in Palatine Rural’s jurisdiction. The BCFPD will also dispatch a tender to all Palatine Rural-based calls generated by automatic fire alarm systems.

In return, Palatine Rural will provide an Advanced Life Support (ALS) engine for BCFPD calls that occur south of Lake Cook Road, and will provide initial fire and paramedic response for calls originating from the BCFPD’s far-eastern edge.

About PRFPD

The Palatine Rural Fire Protection District serves unincorporated areas of Palatine, Schaumburg Township, and the majority of Inverness. Its trustees meet the second Monday of each month. Call (847) 991-8700 or visit www.prfpd.org for more information.

About BCFPD

Established in 1940, the Barrington Countryside Fire Protection District serves portions of Barrington Hills, South Barrington, Lake Barrington and Inverness; and portions of unincorporated Cook, Lake and McHenry Counties. The district currently purchases emergency fire and medical service from the Barrington Fire Department, through an intergovernmental agreement between the district and Village of Barrington. The agreement will expire on Dec. 31, 2013.

The board of trustees meets the third Monday of each month, 6:30 p.m., at the district’s Lake Barrington headquarters, 22222 N. Pepper Rd. For more information, visit www.bcfpd.org or call (224) 848-4800.

Information submitted by the BCFPD


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