“The General” - WEGOFPD E-Newsletter

Spring 2025

*Our newsletter is named in commemoration of our 1934 antique fire pumper known as “The General” for its’ many years of great service to the community. Click HERE for some Department historical info.

Emergency: Dial 9-1-1 I Non-emergency: (630) 231-2123

EVENT ALERT Join us for our Fire Department 2025 OPEN HOUSE - September 27, 2025 11 am to 2 pm at Fire St. 6 (200 Fremont)

District Update

The first quarter of 2025 has brought numerous developments to the West Chicago Fire Protection District. A new Seagrave Aerial Scope has been added to our fleet, significantly enhancing our emergency response capabilities. Since its arrival, our crews have been training extensively with the new tower ladder to ensure they are fully prepared to operate it under real-world conditions.

In addition to emergency response, we take pride in being an active part of the West Chicago community. Our members recently participated in the West Chicago Police Department's Polar Plunge to benefit Special Olympics, and we continue to provide fire and life safety education in local schools and at community events. As the weather warms up, you’ll see us at festivals like Blooming Fest, Railroad Days, and the DuPage Airport Authority Back to School Event —to name a few. Be sure to stop by, say hello, and ask questions when you see our crews around town. We’re always happy to connect with the residents we serve.

Finally, District administration and the Board of Trustees are in the final development phases for the Fiscal Year 2025/2026 budget. The proposed budget is focused on maintaining operations in an efficient and effective manner while containing costs. The District is planning for several capital activities that include parking lot replacement at Fire St. 6, heating and air conditioning unit replacements, and the replacement of one ambulance and one utility vehicle. The vehicle purchases are a part of the District’s fleet replacement program. In accordance with state law, the District will be adopting a balanced budget.

STRATEGIC PLAN

The District is working to update its’ Strategic Plan as we steer towards the future. The Strategic Plan will provide a road map to achieve short to medium-term goals (3-5 year timeframe) related to improvement areas with programs, budget, and efficient/effective service delivery. The success of a Strategic Plan is dependent upon input from its’ stakeholders which includes residents and business owners. We seek this input through a simple survey with 7 points of info collection. Thank you to everyone for supporting this important process! Please take a minute to complete the survey by clicking on this link: Community Survey. Additional community input opportunities will be available in the coming months.

TEXT TO 9-1-1

Enhanced 9-1-1 services now available - Call if you can, Text if you can’t

You can now Text to 9-1-1 if needed – More information is available at the following website: Dupage County Text to 911

Special Safety Message

Spring Clean Up - Spring is finally here and with it comes flowers, warm temperatures, and Spring cleaning. The Spring season is a great time to organize and rid our homes of clutter. Many people use this time to straighten up the garage and storage areas of the home. It is important to remember to: store household chemicals such as gasoline in fire rated containers or cabinets; keep combustible materials away from heat sources; and discard of obsolete items to minimize combustible products and clutter.

Household hazardous materials should never be disposed of in sink drains or sewers. Did you know there is a FREE household hazardous waste disposal center in Naperville? – check out their website via the button.

Spring-time is also a great time to have your clothes dryer and ductwork cleaned. Lint accumulations inside and outside a clothes dryer can catch fire and quickly spread throughout your home. The included video shows the hazards of dryer fires along with a few safety tips.

Finally, don’t forget to give your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors a little TLC. All detectors should be tested monthly and any inoperable detectors replaced or new batteries installed. The operational life of a detector is 10 years.

Illinois state law requires 10-year sealed battery detectors with one installed on each level of the home and within 15 feet of sleeping areas. Detector cleaning is important too. Use your vacuum to lightly clean out any dust accumulations or cobwebs.

The Fire District has a smoke detector give away/install program for our older residents and residents who have difficulty purchasing devices. Please contact us at 630/231-2123 for more information or questions.

Click Here for the Naperville website

Dryer Fire Video

Seasonal Safety News

Grilling and Fire Pit Safety – Who’s ready to light those barbecue grills and fire pits? With the warmer weather approaching, many people will be “firing up” their grills and fire pits. A few pointers will help make these activities much safer. Remember: 1) Place grills in operation at least 3 feet from any part of the home and no fuel fired grills on combustible balconies/decks. 2) By local law, manufactured, portable outdoor fire pits shall be at least 15 feet from structures. 3) Only use proper cooking fuels or seasoned firewood – the burning of leaves, trash, or other waste is prohibited. 4) Don’t leave fires unattended and make sure to discard of embers in metal containers with tight fitting lids or soak them in water.

Click to for a Grilling Fire Safety video

Injury Prevention Reminder

Stroke Awareness – The American Stroke Association has declared the month of May as “American Stroke Month” to raise awareness about the warning signs. Time is the enemy when it comes to a stroke emergency – on average 1.9 million brain cells die every minute that a stroke goes untreated. By knowing the FAST acronym – F:Face Drooping; A: Arm weakness; S: Speech difficulty; T: Time to call 9-1-1 – you can take the life saving actions for some experiencing a stroke. Check out this website for more info: American Stroke Association

As a resident of West Chicago, you are in one of the BEST places in the country for state-of-the-art stroke care. The West Chicago Fire Protection District participates in the Northwestern Central Dupage Hospital’s (CDH) Mobile Stroke Unit (MSU) program. CDH is a regional stroke medial center. Visit the CDH website for information on this unique program: Northwestern CDH Stroke Unit

Disaster Readiness Post

As we move into the Spring season, it becomes important to have increased awareness about tornado safety. It is critical that we have a variety of ways to monitor changing weather conditions. Phone alerts, viewing local weather television channels, and weather radios are great ways to stay on top of severe weather notifications. Our community has a warning siren system that is activated by Ducomm 9-1-1 dispatch center for Dupage County tornado warnings only. When sirens are activated, take cover immediately. Multiple sirens indicate multiple tornado warnings and NOT “all clear”. You will not receive an “all clear” alert from authorities. Monitoring weather sources is the best way to determine when you can safely leave your shelter.

Click for more Tornado Safety Info

Quick Fact

West Chicago Fire Protection District protects the community with an extensive fleet of vehicles. Three (3) vehicles in the fleet are called “pumpers” or “engines”. The main responsibility for an Engine is to extinguish a fire. The District utilizes 2 frontline engines – Engine 5 housed at St.5 (1651 Atlantic) and Engine 7 housed at St. 7 (1080 Commerce). A reserve Engine is maintained to fill in for continuous operations if a frontline engine is out for maintenance.

Engines are designed with a pump capable of flowing 1500 gallons of water per minute, a water tank with 750 gallons of water, and an extensive variety of hoses, ladders, and equipment for extinguishing fires. The current cost for a new Engine is around $1.3 million dollars with a build timeframe of up to four years. Because of the limited purchasing market and uniqueness of these fire service vehicles, the vehicles must be custom built.

PARTNER EVENTS

Our personnel will be participating in the following upcoming community events:

Blooming Fest – May 17, 2025 9 to 3 pm Downtown

Railroad Days – June 26 – 29, 2025 Pioneer Park

Follow the West Chicago Fire Protection District at www.wegofpd.org or on Facebook for timely news & updates.