A year ago, we covered the formation of the West Suburban Fire/Rescue Alliance, which brings together several firefighting agencies in DuPage County. Recently, the Daily Herald caught up with Carol Stream Fire Chief Rick Kolomay to discuss the progress made since the alliance launched.
Nearly a year on, the alliance is celebrating significant advancements in emergency response times and exploring further opportunities to pool resources effectively. The group, comprising the Wheaton Fire Department and fire protection districts in Carol Stream, Winfield, and West Chicago, operates as a collaborative effort rather than a full-scale merger. Their goal is to enhance coordination while cutting costs.
One major achievement has been the adoption of standardized protocols for firefighters and regular cross-departmental training sessions held every month. Currently, they're examining ambulance fee structures across member communities. Although data isn't yet a full year old, statistics from DU-COMM—a regional service managing 911 calls for these cities—indicate that emergency response times have dropped noticeably since the alliance was established.
For general alarm situations, such as structure fires, the average arrival time for all units—three engines, three trucks, two ambulances, and five command officers—has decreased by nearly five minutes. This improvement can be attributed to DU-COMM refining their computer-aided dispatch system and implementing a strategy devised by the alliance known as "closest station response."
Prior to the alliance, outdated policies limited the availability of critical resources. "We used to say we'd only send one piece of equipment because we needed to cover the rest of our area," explained Rick Kolomay, who serves as both the Carol Stream Fire Chief and alliance president. "This meant we couldn't get enough resources to the scene fast enough because we had to bypass neighboring towns just to find one engine or one ladder truck since those were all they could spare."
Today, the alliance ensures that gaps in coverage are filled when key personnel like chiefs or deputy chiefs, along with essential vehicles like fire engines, ladder trucks, and ambulances, are dispatched to the headquarters station of the affected community to prepare for potential follow-up incidents.
Kolomay mentioned that the team is still analyzing how emergency calls are distributed among the different towns. He hinted at the potential future where the nearest fire station would always respond to incidents.
These changes mark a shift toward more efficient operations and better preparedness across the region. As the alliance continues to refine its strategies, residents can expect even faster and more reliable emergency services.
The complete article can be read [here](#).
*Thanks Chris!*
Alphabet Flash Cards,Number Flashcards,Infant Flash Cards,Abc Flash Cards,Letter Flashcards
Guangzhou Xinqicai Printing Co., Ltd. , https://www.cnxqcprinting.com