The *Daily Herald* has another report on the recent separation between the Barrington Fire Department and the Barrington Countryside Fire Protection District. The split, which officially took place on New Year’s Day, was supposed to be a smooth transition — but it wasn’t without some last-minute hiccups.
Even though 19 firefighters from the village were laid off at midnight, they weren’t allowed to take their personally fitted safety gear with them. This created an immediate problem for the newly formed fire district, which had to quickly secure borrowed equipment from the Fox River Grove Fire Protection District just days before the split. They are also working on leasing additional gear in the coming months.
Jeff Lawler, the Village Manager of Barrington, explained that the issue stemmed from the fact that the firefighters were hired through a private contractor, Paramedic Services of Illinois, rather than directly by the fire district. “It's taxpayer-owned equipment, and we can't just hand it over without following legal procedures,†he said. He mentioned that this matter was discussed with fire district officials in early December, and he was confused about why it wasn’t resolved sooner.
Tom Rowan, president of the Barrington Countryside Fire District board, disagreed, saying that the conversation Lawler referenced seemed to be one-sided — something only the village remembered.
According to Rowan, the two entities had shared equipment for decades under a contractual agreement, and the plan was to divide everything evenly, just like the vehicles. However, the lack of clear ownership and transfer procedures led to confusion.
Jeff Swanson, chief of the Barrington Countryside Fire Department, emphasized that while rules must be followed, they shouldn’t interfere with public safety. “This should have been handled over time, but the firefighters needed the gear right away,†he said.
Currently, the Barrington Countryside Fire District employs 34 firefighters through Paramedic Services of Illinois. Only the 19 who were previously with the village were affected by the gear dispute. Swanson added that new, specially fitted equipment for these personnel is expected to arrive in the spring, and in the meantime, they’re using leased gear.
Despite the initial challenges, both agencies have reported that they’ve been fulfilling all their responsibilities since the split. The Barrington Fire Department now covers only the village’s five square miles, whereas before it also served the larger district.
Rowan noted that morale among the new fire district staff is high. In fact, they even cleaned all their equipment thoroughly shortly after receiving it from the village just after midnight on Wednesday.
Barrington Countryside covers parts of Barrington Hills, Lake Barrington, South Barrington, Inverness, and unincorporated areas of Cook, Lake, and McHenry counties.
In terms of apparatus, here’s what we know so far:
- **Barrington Fire Department**:
- One engine
- The quint
- The battalion buggy
- Two ambulances
- **Barrington Countryside FPD**:
- Two engines
- The squad
- The tanker (plus a newly acquired one)
- Two ambulances
At this time, the ownership of the brush unit remains unclear.
Welded Aluminum Tube,Brazing Aluminum Tubing,Welding Aluminum Pipe,Aluminium Tube Welding
TIANJIN JIAYI STEEL CO.LTD , https://www.jiayisteel.com