The Barrington Courier-Review recently reported that as the year-end separation between the Barrington Fire Department and the Barrington Countryside Fire Protection District approaches, a mutual-aid agreement remains unresolved. With less than two weeks until the departments begin operating independently, both sides have yet to finalize an agreement.
The Village of Barrington had previously aimed to have a deal in place by its Dec. 16 meeting, but the topic was not even brought up for discussion. Barrington Fire Chief James Arie stated that the village has submitted proposals, but has not received a response from the district’s officials. These agreements would outline support plans for emergencies across jurisdictional lines. Meanwhile, the village has already secured automatic aid agreements with neighboring departments in Lake Zurich, Long Grove, and Palatine, while continuing negotiations with other agencies in the area.
"We've got resources around us that are ready to respond to our needs on a daily basis," Arie said, adding that Barrington firefighters are eager to start their independent operations on Jan. 1.
Meanwhile, the Barrington Countryside Fire Protection District advanced its own plan by finalizing an automatic aid agreement with the Palatine Rural Fire Protection District. The agreement, approved on Dec. 16, ensures residents continue to receive high-quality fire and emergency medical services.
According to a district press release, the agreement requires the Countryside Fire Protection District to provide a fire engine or water tanker for all structure fires within Palatine Rural’s jurisdiction. In return, Barrington will send a truck to any calls generated by automatic fire alarm systems in Palatine Rural’s area.
Palatine Rural will also provide an Advanced Life Support engine for Barrington Countryside calls south of Lake-Cook Road and offer initial fire and paramedic response for calls on the eastern edge of the district.
"As we begin discussing how our organizations can assist each other, our main focus was ensuring any agreement helps fulfill our mission of providing excellence in service," said District Fire Chief Jeff Swanson. "That's the standard we live by. We're confident in this agreement and will meet regularly over the next year to maintain it."
The agreement, set to take effect on Jan. 1, was formally approved by the Barrington Countryside Board of Trustees on Dec. 16. The Palatine Rural Board is expected to approve it at a special meeting later this month.
"This agreement took a bit longer than expected, but it ensures our residents will continue to receive top-tier fire and emergency medical service," said Palatine Rural Fire Chief Hank Clemmensen.
In addition to the mutual-aid agreement, the district board also approved the purchase of a new 3,000-gallon water tanker. Officials said the vehicle will significantly enhance the district's ability to deliver large amounts of water to areas without fire hydrants.
"We were lucky to find a stock unit that met our needs," said Rowan. "It saves us from waiting eight months for a custom-built unit." The $205,000 vehicle, which arrived at district headquarters in mid-December, was manufactured by Luverne, a Minnesota-based company under Midwest Fire Equipment.
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