OFPD Finance office recognized for financial practices

PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                           Ray Hanania

June 27, 2012                                                      rayhanania / comcast.net

OFPD Finance office recognized for financial practices

OFPD, Orland Park, IL., – The nation’s most important financial services association awarded the Orland Fire Protection District and Financial Officer Kerry Sullivan a Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting.

Auditors with Mulcahy, Pauritsch, Salvador & co. Ltd., of Orland Park, also presented the formal audit of the 2011 budget to the board. The audit shows the district spent $240,000 less than it collected in revenues that year.

“I think we have had a good year when it comes to paying attention to the concerns of the taxpayers of the Orland Fire Protection District,” said OFPD Board President Jim Hickey.

“We are also very proud of the achievements and hard work of our Finance Director Kerry Sullivan who has done so much to help us manage the budget and also find ways to reduce spending.”

Hickey noted the board this year held the line on the budget, preventing it from increasing by more than $1.6 million, while also reducing planned spending this year by more than $1 million.

“In the end, taxpayers will have saved almost $3 million in our budget this year and last year. This is the first year in five years that our budget is under $30 million and that is significant,” Hickey said.

Fire Chief Ken Brucki also praised Sullivan, noting, "Kerry is a very valuable employee demonstrating a level of professionalism I have observed District wide from our employees.  She has managed a very professional business model that has been adapted to the operations of a fire district.  I congratulate her and all our staff on a job well done."

The award recognition by the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA)  is the third consecutive annual citation that the OFPD and Sullivan has received.

“I know that I speak for the entire board and fire district when I congratulate Kerry Sullivan for her work,” said Trustee Marty McGill.

“I too want to express my gratitude for the professionalism and hard work that Kerry Sullivan has put in to this process,” said Trustee Chris Evoy. “We worked very hard to reduce spending and she has proven to be an invaluable asset to our district.”

Sullivan said that the audit shows that the budget for 2011 ended with a surplus of $240,000.

“We ended the year with a $240,000 positive balance between revenues and expenditures and in today’s economy, that is very significant,” Sullivan said.

The audit shows that the district spent about $2.6 million more than what was budget, she explained, but said that it included $3 million that was collected in 2007 and spend on the completion of the Fire District’s new administration building.

“Essentially, we had the $3 million in the bank to pay for the completion but it is factored into the audit. If you exclude that money, which we already collected, then you see that revenues exceeded expenditures by $240,000,” Kerry explained.

The Administration building, 9790 W. 151^st Street, was formally completed and officially opened in 2011.

In presenting the audit to the board, the auditors also noted that the Orland Fire Protection District pension fund is 76 percent funded. A government mandate requires that the pension fund by 90 percent funded by the year 2040.

The award is one of the highest forms of recognition a governmental body can receive in the area of accounting and financial reporting.  The District’s Finance Director Kerry Sullivan will receive the plaque which is expected to arrive in approximately eight weeks.  At that time, the Board of Trustees will make a formal presentation to Ms. Sullivan.

Sullivan has been with the district since 1997 serving as Finance Director. Prior to that she worked at McNeal Hospital as a budget manager, and previously worked as KPMG, a national accounting firm.

Sullivan lives in Orland Park with her two sons, Billy, 15, and Jack, 11.

For more information, please visit our website at www.orlandfire.org.

The 2011 OFPD Audit will also be placed online for public review.

# # #

Ken Brucki sworn in as new Orland Fire Protection District Chief Chief Brucki's presentation at swearing in ceremony

Ken Brucki sworn in as new Orland Fire Protection District Chief
Chief Brucki's presentation at swearing in ceremony

(Photos below. Right click to download)

Good Evening.

The first thing I’d like to do is acknowledge everyone who chose to be here tonight.  I hope in the next few days or weeks to thank you personally for your part in making this transition possible.  

And I’d like to publicly thank:

The Orland Fire Protection District Board of Trustees, for your faith and confidence in giving me the opportunity to serve as your Chief Administrator.  I will not let you down.

Battalion Chief Ray Kay, for your dedication to the District and your efforts in directing the District during this transitional period.  Ray will continue with Administrative duties under my command.

Politicians: Mayor McLaughlin, Mayor Hastings, Commissioner Gorman, (list out others that may show)

Pleasantview Board of Trustees and Chief Kevin Doyle for your guidance and showing me what a first rate organization is run like.

Most Especially the Pleasantview Fire Protection District and all its members.  I have made lifelong friends and will always think ofPleasantview as the finest fire organization, until just recently (pause) now they’re the 2^ndfinest.

Many people here, especially the press may be wondering what Orland got when they chose to hire me.

I started as a volunteer firefighter at MarionettePark.  I was fascinated at the prospect of being a fireman.  I began taking classes and accepting any new challenge presented before me.  

I went on to become a paramedic through Christ hospital and took on more challenge working for a private ambulance company to gain more experience.  Still I could not satisfy my desire for more challenge and experience so I pursued a part time position with the Darien-Woodridge Fire Protection District.  Taking even more classes and continuing to build knowledge and gain experience.

I kept running into the same problem…I didn’t know enough…So I went back to school, getting myassociates degree in fire science from Moraine Valley, I continued on a formal education path by earning a Bachelor’s Degree in fire science management from SIU, As my administrative duties grew, I accepted one more challenge and completed a Master’s degree through Illinois Benedictine University in Organizational Behavior and Organizational Development.  A degree that will serve me well as I accept this new position.

Thankfully I was blessed with a full time position with the Pleasantview Fire Protection District.  I will be eternally grateful to the fine personnel I had the honor to serve with while developing in my career.  Pleasantview encouraged continued education and facilitation at the department.  

I was able to work in the division of training and continue to master techniques and pass along some of the knowledge, skills and abilities I had developed over the years.  I learned from and continued to work with one of the finest Fireman I have ever met, Captain Mike Grazian thank you.

My work as an instructor opened the door for many new opportunities.  I became an instructor for the Fire Service Institute at University of Illinois.  I worked in many different fire and rescue programs.  Two achievements I am very proud of was the opportunity to work alongside legendary leaders in the fire service and help develop the curriculum for the “Saving Our Own” program and building the Structural Collapse program from the ground up.  Both programs have helped shape firefighters on a national level and are instrumental in firefighter safety.

I was selected to serve as the rescue coordinator for the Southwest United Fire Districts.  During its time the SUFD Academy was one of the finest in the state and also allowed me to work with many members of the Orland Fire District.

Another accomplishment over the years was the ability to serve on several ADHOC committees established through the State Fire Marshal’s Office.  The ADHOC committees are responsible for establishing the job performance requirements in the various disciplines in the fire service.  I was selected to chair several ADHOC committees over the years that eventually lead to the appointment of Chairman of the Advisory Board.  I was now in charge of overseeing the work done by all ADHOC committees.  I was appointed to be the testing administrator through the offices of the state fire marshal.  In that position I was responsible for writing, developing and validating the curriculum for every certification program in the state of Illinois.

LIKE MOST OF US IN THIS ROOM The harder I worked, the more INVITATIONS I GOT TO WORK HARD.

And yes most of my leadership and instructor’s success was achieved while serving in the rank of firefighter---leadership happens at every level of the fire service---you don’t have to have a rank to be a leader.  This is a quality I hope to nurture here inOrland because I recognize that at any given moment any of our personnel can be called upon to leadthrough character, skill, or knowledge.

This brings me to our vision for this district:  Our largest responsibility is maintaining the safety of thepersonnel who work for this district while providing the best possible response to the public safety needs. My job is to look at the big picture and prepare for the great, “Anything can happen”.  It is often difficult for the general public to understand this type of preparation.  However, anybody sitting out there who has ever put on this uniform and laced up a pair of boots knows that anything CAN HAPPEN…and it usually does.  

I see that as one of our basic principles for training.  This principle isn’t that we can prepare ourselves for any situation.  It’s a principle designed to establish an excellent foundation for ongoing skill development through training and trust.

As I say goodbye to one family, I am welcomed in another.  I will work every day with my heart and soul to build relationships and earn the trust of every single individual who serves the Orland Fire District.

If you see me in the community you’ll know I am:

Family oriented

Faith filled

Fair, but firm

Dedicated and loyal

I am a Fireman

And Lord Knows, I got get this clear right now…a Cub’s fan.

Thank your family (remember the moms and dads)

I would like to Thank:

Friends for your support

Family

Grandmother Marie Badke

In-Laws Tom and Barb Trusk

Parents Jack Brucki and Sadie Walker

Children Jesselyn, Christian, and Patrick for constantly reminding how beautiful this world is

Patti- my soul mate and savior. By far the greatest human being I have ever had the privilege to meet and I am grateful every single day that she would have me.

Photos courtesy of Gerardo Lopez for the Orland Fire Protection District

END

Orland Fire Protection District announces selection of new chief

PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                           Ray Hanania

Thursday May 24, 2012                                         rayhanania  @  comcast.net

Orland Fire Protection District announces selection of new chief

Orland Fire Protection District – Veteran FireFighter Ken Brucki, 44, was named Thursday as the new Fire Chief for the Orland Fire Protection District.

Brucki served as a Fire Lieutenant with the Pleasantview Fire District representing homeowners in Burr Ridge, Countryside, Hodgkins, Indian Head Park, Willowbrook and portions of unincorporated Cook and DuPage County since 1994.

A resident of Orland Park for the past 12 years, Brucki said his first priority will be to bring the focus of the district back to fire protection and safety, conducting an efficiency study that will become a benchmark to evaluate ways to reinforce and improve fire services.

“I am very honored and appreciative to be given this opportunity to represent one of the best fire districts in the country,” Brucki said.

“I think the Orland Fire Protection District has so many dedicated firefighters and employees who I know want to focus their attentions, skills and professionalism on what they do best, providing the highest quality fire service and professional public safety for the people of the district. I am not here to focus on anything else. I recognize the great esteem that the district’s firefighters have for their uniforms and what their uniforms represent.”

Kay, who was one of three finalists for the position, welcomed Brucki as the district’s new chief.

“At the request of the Board, it was an honor to serve as Acting Fire Chief this past year,” Kay said.  “I am proud of the many accomplishments the administration was able to achieve during this transitional period.  I intend to work closely with the new Chief to ensure a seamless transfer of authority, succession.”

OFPD President Jim Hickey described Brucki as someone who has a deep commitment to professionalism.

“We received applications for several dozen very qualified individuals. Chief Kay was among those qualified candidates and it was not an easy choice,” Hickey said.

“We narrowed the field down to the top three candidates and in the end, the board felt that Ken Brucki has the experience, the skills and the leadership to help us move forward with the mandate that the public expects from us. That mandate is to provide the highest quality fire protection services and safety, and to do so with sensitivity for the challenges of today’s economy.”

Brucki and his wife, Patti, a high school teacher, have three children. Jesselyn, 19, who will start her sophomore year at St. Francis University in Joliet; CJ, 17, who will start his senior year at Sandburg High school; and, Patrick, 13, who will be in 8^th grade at Orland Junior High school.

Brucki began his career as a volunteer firefighter in Merrionette Park in 1988. Later, he worked as a part-time firefighter in Darien-Woodridge before taking a fulltime position at Pleasantview. The OFPD board voted unanimously at its last board meeting May 22 to offer Brucki the job following the year long search for a permanent chief.

Brucki is a volunteer youth sports coach who has worked over the years with hundreds of young people in football and baseball leagues in Orland Park.

“I think the public will find Brucki to be a straight shooter, a no BS kind of person who will make fire service his number one priority,” Hickey said.

Brucki said, “I expect every member of the Orland Fire Protection District to set aside their personal interests and work together as a team to put the needs of the residents of our fire district at the forefront.”

The search for a permanent fire chief began last year in May when Kay, a 22 year fire veteran, was named acting chief to succeed Bryant Krizik.

“Chief Kay worked with the Board of Trustees, and with many other agencies including local school districts, police departments, villages, Cook County government, the State of Illinois and nationally with organizations such as the International Association of Fire Chiefs,” said Trustee Chris Evoy. 

“Chief Kay’s experience in the Orland Fire Protection District made him the most qualified individual in the district to assume the position of acting chief. He worked in every firehouse and in various roles has been responsible for every division and operations in the district,” said Hickey.

“We appreciate the time he dedicated to this position to maintain the highest quality service of the Fire District.”

END

Registration Opens for Orland Fire District Fire and Life Safety Camp

PRESS RELEASE/OFPD

MAY 23, 2012

Registration Opens for Orland Fire District Fire and Life Safety Camp

                Beginning June 1^st, registration for the 4^th Annual Kid’s Fire and Life Safety Camp will open.  This year the camp will be held July 9^th – 13^th for children ages 7 – 12.  Camp activities include: Combat challenge, CPR/First Aid, weather preparedness, fire prevention, Fire Safety Trailer, using fire hose, watching live fire and EMS scenarios, water day and many other activities.  Short periods of lectures and lessons followed by hands on exercises will help reinforce lessons learned. The Fire and Life Safety Camp is intended to be a learning experience for the children but also a fun and challenging way to learn about safety. 

                Attendees will be grouped into teams and will operate as a “fire or rescue company” for each day’s activities. Children are taught teamwork and leadership skills throughout the camp which they can use in everyday situations.

                Last year we had approximately 60 children in attendance and held 2 camps. This year there will only be one camp from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., free for Residents, $30 for Non-Residents.  Registration deadline is June 29^th, but once the camp is full, registration will be closed sooner.  All campers will receive a T-shirt, educational materials to supplement the learning sessions, graduation certificate, water and a snack each day.

                Applications will be available online at our website at www.orlandfire.org starting June 1^st, or at the Administration Building. The completed application can be dropped off to Nancy Mulvihill at the Orland Fire District Administration Building at 9790 W. 151^st St., e-mailed to n.mulvihill@orlandfire.org, or faxed to 708-349-2751. Non-residents must bring in the application with payment, only cash or check will be accepted, no credit cards.  Any questions about the Kid’s Fire and Life Safety Camp, please contact Nancy Mulvihill, Fire and Life Safety Educator at 708-873-2742 or via e-mail at n.mulvihill@orlandfire.org.

Kid’s Fire & Life Safety Camp – Ages 8 – 12

Orland Fire District CTC Building

10728 W. 163^rd Pl.

Monday July 9 through Friday July 13, 2012

8:30-12:30am

·        Limited space available; registration will close when camp is full.

·        Free for in-district residents $30 for non-district residents (proof of residency required)

·        Each child will receive an Orland Fire camp T-shirt

·        Certificate of Completion for each participant

·        Hands on Learning & Team Building Activities Covering a Wide Variety of Topics such as:

                        Basic First Aid & CPR

                        Firefighter Skills

                        Water Safety

                        Severe Weather    

                        Preparedness

                        Fire Prevention

                        Personal Safety & Injury      

                        Prevention

                        Safety Around Utilities

OFPD CONSOLIDATION TASK FORCE REPORT SUMMARY

OFPD CONSOLIDATION TASK FORCE REPORT SUMMARY

The Orland Fire Protection District (OFPD) Board of Trustees created the OFPD Task Force (Task Force) to evaluate the consolidation of OFPD and the Palos Fire Protection District (PFPD). Five members were appointed to the Task Force. Realizing that it was not possible to conduct a full consolidation study within a few months’ time, the Task Force’s purpose was to focus rather on the feasibility of conducting the full consolidation study over a several-year period and with the cooperation of all impacted parties.


The Task Force leveraged existing documents, studies and state legislation on consolidation as the starting point of their work. Each member contributed to research and discussion throughout the process. Eight benchmarks were chosen as the metric to determine full consolidation feasibility.


Critical benchmarks that the Task Force considered were: Tax Levy, Level of Service, Labor Agreements, Dispatch, Apparatus and Maintenance, Administration, Support Services and Facilities and Buildings. Each of these areas was evaluated with available information establishing the feasibility of recommending further, more in-depth study. Only significant impediments would be considered not feasible. The report provides detail on each of the benchmarks and important aspects related to the benchmark.


In summary, the Task Force provides recommendations on consolidation of the two fire districts. Consolidation can provide a more efficient delivery of service through a larger organization. Several steps are important to follow to properly make an appropriate determination on consolidation. Existing Illinois state law provides a framework upon which consolidation can take place.


According to Interim Chief Raymond Kay, “The challenge for elected officials in fire districts is to be fiscally responsible in reducing costs while maintaining the current level of service.  Maintaining or improving response times for medical and fire emergencies are a key component in considering consolidation.  Although many short-term savings may not occur at the onset, long-term benefits may be realized for each entity that participates in the consolidation plan.”


The full report will be placed online as soon as it is converted to PDF format for public review.

END

Orland Fire Protection District Releases projected cost savings for 2012 budget

Orland Fire Protection District Releases projected cost savings for 2012 budget

BUDGET SAVINGS OF NEW BOARD REPORT:

Orland Fire Protection District

Budget Cuts & Changes Resulting in Savings For Taxpayers

This is the first time in 5 years that the Orland Fire Protection Budget has been below $30 million. Had we not acted, instead of being lower, it would have been as much as $1 million higher this year under the past spending pattern of the prior OFPD leadership.

Some Major Cuts:

Change in # of employees needed during shifts      $500,000

[Note: Not hiring the 11 new firefighters, we were still able to bring the costs of overtime down by as much as $500,000 a year without the additional hiring. We did reduce the number of total individuals on a shift from 30 to 28 which resulted in the $500,000 savings which is noted in the first item.]

Change in workman’s comp carrier                      $500,000

                                                                               

Change in health insurance costs                          $200,000

                                                                               

Elimination of a Deputy Chief                              $150,000

                                                                               

Change in admin staff                                         $  32,000

                                                                               

Retired debt early                                               $232,000

($90,000 total interest savings)

                                                                               

Public Education reduction                                  $  68,000

                                                                               

IT restructure                                                    $  14,000

ACTUAL CUTS:                                            $1,696,000

Reduction in Battalion Chiefs                               $400,000

TOTAL IDENTIFIED SAVINGS                    $2,096,000

Had no effort been made to address budget spending and the budget spending had continued at the pace it was on before the new leadership took control of the board, the 2012 budget would easily have increased over the 2011 by between $500,000 and $1 million.

That means that in addition to the above cuts in which savings can be seen comparing this year to the past year, we also prevented spending that would have taken place, also, that would have increased last year’s budget even higher.

We reduced the budget between $500,000 and $1 million simply by changing our priorities and through cost efficiency awareness. Added to that savings are the reductions listed above which total $1.696 million. 

The actual overall savings in terms of what the budget would have been without any action equates to an actual reduction in spending that is $2.196 million to $2.696 million. That compares this year’s budget as it now stands with what this year’s budget would have been had we not taken any action at all and had spending continued its upward drift as it surely would have.

Included in this is the restructuring of the OFPD Battalion Chief duties, and the elimination of two of the six Battalion Chiefs, which saved the district  about $400,000 in salaries including benefits.

And we did this with our hands tied, since the majority of the budget spending involves employee contracted wages that are subject to negotiations with the union, giving us the ability to make actual cutbacks on that portion of the remaining budget that is non-wage related, or about 15 percent of the budget.

Jim Hickey

OFPD President

END

Orland Fire District receives high marks in transparency audit by IPI

Orland Fire District receives high marks
in transparency audit by IPI

Six neighboring government agencies fail transparency test

CHICAGO (May 18, 2012) – The village of Tinley Park, Orland Township, Orland School District 135 and the Orland Fire Protection District all received high marks in an online transparency audit conducted by the Illinois Policy Institute. These Orland Township-area governments join the Village of Orland Park, who maintained a score of 100 percent from August 2011.

The Illinois Policy Institute grades on how much public data is readily available on public websites. Dubbed “The Local Transparency Project,” grades are based on the availability to the public of vital community information, such as public meeting schedules, government employee salaries and tax rates. Since the project was launched by the Institute in February 2010, more than 140 government entities have been graded.

In the Orland Township-area, websites for 14 government entities were graded. Township of Orland, Homer Glen, Orland Park, Tinley Park, Orland School District 135, School District 146, School District 230 and Orland Fire Protection District all received passing grades.

Orland Hills, Kirby School District 140, Community College District 524, Mokena Park District, Tinley Park Park District and Mokena Fire Protection District all received failing grades.

The Village of Orland Park first received the top score of 100 percent in August 2011. The village maintained this score in the most recent audit.

“After Orland Park received a score of 100 percent last year, we are very pleased at how seven other governments in the Orland Township area have shown big improvements,” said Brian Costin, director of government reform at the nonpartisan Illinois Policy Institute. "However, we are very disappointed the other six agencies who had extremely low scores and who haven’t yet embraced online transparency. This needs to change if those taxing bodies truly want to be accountable to their taxpayers.”

The bottom six agencies had an average score of 22.5 percent and all received an “F” grade. In comparison, the top 8 agencies had an average score of 88.5 percent.

For democracy to work, citizens need access to the information about what government does. Proactive transparency is the best way to educate society about the actions of government and keep voters informed. That’s why the Local Transparency Project grades public agencies on the availability of the following information: elected and administrative officials; public meetings; how to file a Freedom of Information Act request; budgets; audits; expenditures; salaries and benefits; contracts, lobbying; and taxing levels.

Jim Hickey, president of the Orland Fire Protection District said the Institute’s 10-Point Transparency Checklist offered local leaders a useful checklist to follow for online transparency.

“I am gratified for the support we have received from the Illinois Policy Institute. We now have many documents that previously were not easily available to the public now accessible for anyone to inspect on our web site," Hickey said. "I want to reach 100 percent.  and moving forward, we will as we continue to convert older records from the past. We hope our efforts serve to motivate other governments in the Orland Park region to follow our lead and make their own governments transparent, too.”

A full list of scores are attached and below: 

Click to view larger image

  

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The Illinois Policy Institute is a nonpartisan research and education organization dedicated to making Illinois a beacon for liberty and prosperity for all citizens. As a leading voice for economic liberty and government accountability, the Institute engages policy makers, opinion leaders and citizens on the state and local level by promoting free market principles and liberty-based public policy initiatives for a better Illinois. To learn more about the Institute or review policy briefs, please visit: www.illinoispolicy.org.