OFPD Board of Trustees announces new union contract that offers taxpayers significant longterm savings

OFPD announces new contract with firefighters that cuts costs and reduces expenditures

Orland Fire Protection District — The Orland Fire Protection District is proud to announce the renewal of its contract with the firefighters union, holding the line on pay raises to under 3 percent each year over the next three years and significantly reducing longterm costs.

The new three-year contract, which takes affect immediately, projects a reduction of ranking officers through attrition and their replacement by firefighters, and savings in healthcare, overtime and tougher requirements for drug testing and safety.

Members of the Orland Fire Protection Board said the new contract, which does not require board action because it was agreed to as a result of binding arbitration, would increase the number of lower-paid firefighters by reducing the number of higher paid ranking officers including lieutenants and engineers.

“This single change could save the taxpayers as much as $1 million a year by putting more firefighters on the force and less higher paid officers,” explained Orland Fire Trustee Chris Evoy, who noted the change will come through attrition over the life of the contract. The number of fire lieutenants, for example, will be reduced from 33 to 24, a savings of about $300,000 a year when fully implemented.

Additional savings will come by shifting the responsibility for overtime to senior management, a move OFPD Trustees said they hope will cut overtime expenditures by 50 percent.

“We want to thank the union leadership and negotiating team from Local 2754 for agreeing to these terms that will help ease the pressure on the budget and help the district achieve its goals of reigning in excessive spending,” Evoy added.

“The new contract will help the district save money and reduce expenditures by allowing a tougher management of overtime, shifting responsibility to battalion chiefs to better plan personnel schedules.”

In the past overtime needs were often slotted using higher paid ranking firefighters in ranking positions. Under the new plan, lower paid firefighters will get the majority of the overtime assignments when needed.

“We anticipate that this will be a very large savings to the taxpayers,” Evoy said congratulating his colleagues on the board including President Jim Hickey, and Trustees Blair Rhode, John Brudnak and Jayne Schirmacher.

Other concessions include requiring union members to increase their contributions, through payroll deductions, for healthcare benefits, and to adhere to a tougher and more stringent Drug Policy, lowering the tolerance level from .08 (which is the highest in the state) to .02 (which is the lowest in the state).

Employee contributions will increase from 7 percent to 9 percent in 2014 and 11 percent in 2015. And, he said, Kelly Days (other paid leave days) will be required to be scheduled and will not be permitted to be converted to sick days when not used.

“We think this reflects the best interests of the residents and the taxpayers,” Rhode said. “I know the board would like to express their gratitude to the leadership of the Local 2754 Union for their support in helping to achieve the district’s budget goals.”

Hickey added, “The mandate of the new board has been to maintain services while reducing the burden on taxpayers and I and the board have been working hard to balance both. We have saved many millions of dollars over the past few years that had we not acted, costs would have skyrocketed. This new contract is very favorable to the taxpayers and we’re proud that it achieves so much with their interests in mind."

The contract went to binding arbitration as a result of the union rejecting board offers. The arbitrator’s decision is final and does not need to be ratified by the board of trustees, Evoy explained. The contract is retroactive through Jan. 1, 2013.

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Statement from Orland Fire Protection District Fire Chief Ken Brucki

Statement from Orland Fire Protection District Fire Chief Ken Brucki

Power lines, trees down but no structural damage reported in Orland Park

“Our community of Orland Park was very fortunate. We skirted the major brunt of the storm. It was headed towards us but turned to the east before creating damage to our community. As of now, we are not seeing much damage. We are investigating wires down, trees down and power outages on 143rd Street between Wolf and West Avenue … but we have not received any reports to the OFPD of damage to any structures.

“As a precaution, we were extremely prepared for this storm and tracked this for quite some time, called in additional dispatchers to handle a potential increase in calls from residents. We put up our backup dispatch center just in case there was an interruption of our communications so we could switch to our backup centers to keep our communications.

“We also went into ‘Storm Mode in our dispatch center to put all of our equipment, vehicles and personnel on ready and radio communications so our notification is instant. It puts all of our on-duty personnel on an immediate notice in the event of putting out a call.

“Assistance has not been requested from the other communities around us but are ready if there is a need.

“Our technical rescue teams are on standby and we are prepared to respond if we receive a call for assistance.”

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Illinois American Water Distributes $1000 to Orland Fire Protection District

Illinois American Water Distributes $1000 to

Orland Fire Protection District

Woodridge, Ill. (October 28, 2013) – The Orland Fire Protection District will be able to purchase additional fire equipment thanks to a grant by Illinois American Water (IAW).  The IAW 2013 Firefighter Grant Program provides financial assistance to fire and emergency organizations serving communities in its service areas.  Chief Ken Brucki recently accepted a check for $1000 that will be used to design a training prop that will replicate all different water delivery methods that fire personnel encounter in real situations.

Approximately $72,975 will be awarded to 75 fire departments through Illinois American Water’s 2013 Firefighter Grant Program.  The program was created in 2010 to provide financial assistance to fire and emergency organizations serving customers in Illinois American Water’s service area.  Since creation, the program has resulted in over 220 grants totaling over $245,000 awarded across the state.

“We are committed to supporting our local fire departments,” said Karla Olson Teasley, president of Illinois American Water.  “This program enables us to further support fire protection in the communities we serve and partner with our local fire fighters.”

Grants of up to $1,500 are awarded to cover the costs associated with the following:

·       Personal protective gear

·       Communications equipment

·       Firefighting tools

·       Water handling equipment

·       Training and related activities/materials used to support community fire protection

·       Reimbursement for specific fire training classes, including training manuals and workbooks

Pictured from left to right: Henry Maradiaga, Operations Supervisor; Lieutenant David Piper, Training Supervisor; Chief Ken Brucki; Sue Gram, Municipal Advocate

About Illinois American Water

Illinois American Water, a wholly owned subsidiary of American Water (NYSE: AWK), is the largest
investor-owned water utility in the state, providing high-quality and reliable water and/or wastewater services to more than 1.2 million people. American Water also operates a customer service center in Alton and a quality control and research laboratory in Belleville.  Founded in 1886, American Water is the largest publicly traded U.S. water and wastewater utility company.  With headquarters in Voorhees, N.J., the company employs more than 6,700 dedicated professionals who provide drinking water, wastewater and other related services to approximately 14 million people in more than 30 states, as well as parts of Canada. More information can be found by visiting www.amwater.com.

Orland Fire Protection District Open House, Video of Sprinkler Fire Demonstration and Photos

Orland Fire Protection District Open House, Video of Sprinkler Fire Demonstration and Photos

The Orland Fire Protection District hosted their annual Open House on Saturday, Oct. 26, 2013 from 10 until 1 pm, providing live re-enactments of fire scenarios and allowing attendees to inspect fire equipment up close.

Fire Chief Ken Brucki and Public Education Coordinator Betsy Dine also presented special trophies to children from local grade schools for the Annual Coloring Contest which showcases fire safety and protection themes. This year's theme slogan was penned by a 7th Grader who wrote "Hot Sauce is the only Fire you want in your kitchen." The slogan will appear on the Orland Fire Protection District's Fire Station Marquees.

About 250 people attended the open house which featured several fire scenarios including a "Cause and Origin" fire demonstration, a Technical Rescue from the Fire District's three story training building, side by side burn rooms demonstrating the importance of sprinkler systems (see video below) and a hazmat leak demonstration.


Tables offering literature on Fire Safety education and support were distributed inside the Fire Training Facility main building, 10728 W. 163rd Place. They included a table hosted by the Orland Fire Protection District's newly reconstituted Senior Advisory Council. This year, seniors played key volunteer roles at the Open House event.

"The Open House we host each years gives residents a firsthand look at both the dangers of fires and how easily they can start and spread, and also firsthand knowledge on what they should do int he event of a fire situation," said Fire Marshall Ken Brucki.

Brucki joined Dine in handing out trophies that featured a fire truck to the winners of the essay contests, and worked with Fire Inspector Patrick Collier to supervise the Fire Sprinkler live fire Demonstration.

Photos and Video courtesy of the Orland Fire Protection District

Orland Fire Protection District Open House Saturday Oct. 26

Orland Fire Protection District Open House Saturday Oct. 26

The Orland Fire Protection District will host its annual Open House this Saturday, October 26, from 10 am until 1 pm at the Fire District's Training Center, 10728 W. 163rd Place in Orland Park.

The event features a wide range of activities for children and families to raise awareness of fire prevention and public safety. Representatives of various groups including the Senior Advisory Council (SAC) will also be present to provide more information about members to interested seniors. And, firefighters will provide live demonstrations of how they fight fires, and also showcase the popular Fire Booths in which the importance of sprinklers is demonstrated during live managed fires.

"This is a popular event and we always attract hundreds of people in attendance," said Fire Chief Ken Brucki.

"The demonstrations are very educational and if you haven't seen one you are missing out. The firefighters fight fires that we manage to demonstrate the dangers and educate the public about safety techniques and practices to make their homes safer."

Brucki said the public will be able to inspect actual fire equipment up close, something that is also very popular with the children.

The Fire District is also hosting an essay contest for school children. Essays have been submitted through participating schools and the winners will also be announced during the open house.

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SUV crashes into Orland Post Office, one injured: photos attached

SUV crashes into Orland Post Office, one injured: photos attached

Firefighters from the Orland Fire Protection District were dispatched at around 1:09 pm today (Thursday Oct. 24, 2013) to the Orland Park Post Office at 144th Street after a mid-sized SUV drove through the Post Office's front window. The driver was checked and released without any injuries but an Post Office customer inside the building sustained injuries and was transported to the hospital for treatment. 

Firefighters also inspected the damage to the building concluding there was no major structural damage to make the building unsafe. The Orland Fire Protection District worked with Postal employees to remove debris and salvage property.

The identity of the victim was not released.

RUSH UPDATE:

Update on SUV accident at Orland Post Office

The driver was an elderly woman, and her name and age were not immediately available.

The injured woman was reported in good condition with minor injuries.

Fire Chief Ken Brucki released this statement.

"We had paramedics on the scene immediately. Only one individual was taken to the hospital but I understand she is in good condition, with only minor injuries. We also had trained personnel on scene to assess the structure of the building itself to ensure it did not suffer structural damage. It did not so once it is cleaned up and the windows are boarded, it should be re-opened to the public," Chief Ken Brucki said.

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Orland Fire Protection District inaugurates new Senior Advisory Council

Orland Fire Protection District inaugurates new Senior Advisory Council

The Orland Fire Protection District introduced the newly reorganized Senior Advisory Council (SAC), promising the new group will focus all its energies on the interests of the Fire DIstrict and the needs of the Fire District's senior members.

The SAC was first created in 2009 to address the needs of seniors on issues of health and fire safety, explained SAC Liaison Rosemaria Genova who introduced each of the new board members at the October regular meeting of the OFPD Board of Trustees.

Chief Ken Brucki applauded the new Senior Advisory Council and their promise to make the district's seniors and the district's fire needs their number one priority.

"Seniors are a very important community for the Orland Fire Protection District. The Fire District is constantly evaluating its service and the needs of seniors," said Chief Ken Brucki.

"The new Senior Advisory Council will help the Fire District continue to meet the needs and the expectations of our senior community. We want to make sure that not only do we respond to the needs of seniors professionally, efficiently and successfully, but we also want to ensure that our senior community has a means of directly communicating with us what they expect and what they need."

The new senior group includes past members and new members and plans to grow to be as representative of the senior community as possible.

"We want more seniors to become involved. We know the fire district is very important to the senior community and that the seniors are an important group that the fire district strives to serve," Genova said.

In her remarks in introducing the new senior board, Genova added, "But, this Senior Advisory Council is unique because it is dedicated exclusively to the interests of the fire district by supporting  our mission to serve our residents, especially the seniors," Genova said.

"One of the most important and growing constituencies of the district is our senior population. SAC members believe it is our responsibility to make them our priority and service their interests and their interests alone. That sets us apart from others …that are also doing good things, and moves our group forward in a new direction. We have a lot of good volunteers who are very active in the community and whose backgrounds and talents will make this council productive."

Board of Trustees President Jim Hickey praised the organization saying the board is committed to supporting the Senior Advisory Council and to work with them in helping to ensure that the senior public is made aware of all of the services that the Orland Fire Protection District offers.

"I am glad that they now have a strong and effective voice. As the Fire District Board, we will listen and work with you closely," Hickey said.

The new Senior Advisory Council members include: 

Rosemary Ihle (Station 1);  Grace Fiorenza (Station2); Janice Pierhal (Station 3); Diana Husband (Station 5); Mane Pritza (Station 5); Caryl R. Tietz (Station 6); and, Joe Gleiter (Station 6). SAC hopes to have two volunteers representing each of the district's 6 Fire Stations.

The Senior Advisory Council also includes full-time members of the Fire District on its board including Fire Prevention Supervisor Mike Ercoli, Public Education Coordinator Betsy Dine, Administrative Assistant Gerry Strunka and Battalion Chief Raymond Kay.

"We are seeking more involvement of our Senior Community int he Senior Advisory Council and we encourage any senior in the Fire District to reach out to us at the Fire Headquarters and join as volunteers," Brucki said.

"Your involvement will help make our Fire District even more responsive and effective in serving our community."

Genova also submitted a copy of the new SAC "Code of Ethics" to ensure that the Senior Advisory Council remains focused on senior and fire district needs. (A copy is published below.)

Seniors interested in joining the Advisory Council can either stop in at the Fire District Headquarters at 9790 W. 151st Street, Orland Park, IL., 60462, or call 708-349-0074 for more information. You can also go online and download the application form at this link on the Orland Fire Protection District's website:

http://www.orlandfire.org/communityoutreach/senioradvisorycouncil

(The OFPD Website at www.OrlandFire.org has lots of information about the fire District. We hope you will also check it out.)

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Remarks of Rosemaria Genova introducing the new SAC Board members:

President Hickey, Board Members, Chief Brucki …ladies and gentlemen:

You may recall the Senior Advisory Council or SAC was established in 2009… for the purpose of identifying and addressing the specific needs of the senior residents of our district with respect to health and safety.

Last year, Chief Brucki asked the remaining senior council members to:

a)  Revamp the group

b)  Give it structure

c)   A defined purpose and

d)  Allow for more district-wide participation.

Those of us remaining…accepted the challenge…and in February, the board formally adopted the new Senior Advisory Council with:

a)  Written By-Laws

b)  Policies and Procedures and

c)   A new board comprised of two representatives from each of the six fire stations.

It's very important for me to stress that the Orland Fire Protection District recognizes and respects that there are many senior groups with a wide range of goals, objectives and priorities.

We support them all.

But, this Senior Advisory Council is unique because it is dedicated exclusively to the interests of the fire district by supporting  our mission to serve our residents, especially the seniors.

One of the most important and growing constituencies of the district is our senior population. 

SAC members believe it is our responsibility to make them our priority and service their interests and their interests alone.

That sets us apart from others …that are also doing good things, and moves our group forward in a new direction.

We have a lot of good volunteers who are very active in the community and whose backgrounds and talents will make this council productive.

Recently, we held an orientation led by Chief Brucki and Fire Prevention Supervisor Mike Ercoli where members learned about the administrative and fire service side of the district. 

It was a very comprehensive overview of district operations.

Each meeting, SAC members will participate in a different training session.  For instance…. 

At our last meeting, Battalion Chief Kay gave the group an overview of the Community Care Program and how SAC will help in promoting this program. 

At our last meeting the group also adopted a Code of Ethics which all of you should have… so the council will operate within the governing documents and in the best interests of the group as a whole.

Our next meeting will focus on the district’s Foundation and this weekend, SAC members will be on hand to assist district staff at our annual Open House.

We are also scheduling a CPR class for the council in the near future.

So on behalf of the SAC members, we want thank the Board of Trustees, Chief Brucki and all of the staff for their continued support and cooperation of this council.

At this time I would like to ask each of the SAC members to come forward and introduce themselves and tell us which Station they represent.

SAC Code of Ethics

It is the responsibility of council members to:

 Act within the governing documents of the council and the law – being aware of the contents of the organization’s governing documents and the law as it applies to the Orland Fire Protection District Senior Advisory Council (S.A.C).

 Act in the best interest of S.A.C. as a whole – considering what is best for the organization and its beneficiaries-the residents- and avoiding bringing S.A.C. into disrepute.

 Manage conflicts of interest effectively – registering, declaring and resolving conflicts of interest, not gaining materially or financially.

 Respect confidentiality – understanding what confidentiality means in practice for S.A.C. and the individuals involved with it.

 Have a sound and up-to-date knowledge of S.A.C. and its environment – understanding how S.A.C. works and the environment within which it operates.

 Attend meetings, appointments or other S.A.C assignments and advise if unable to fulfill obligations– be considerate of others’ time.

 Prepare fully for meetings for S.A.C. – reading papers, querying anything you don’t understand and thinking through issues in good time before meetings.

 Actively engage in discussion, debate and voting in meetings – contributing positively, listening carefully to the opinions of others, avoiding conflict and being respectful of others.

 Act jointly and accept a majority decision – making decisions collectively, standing by them and not acting individually.

 Work considerately and respectfully with all – respecting diversity, different roles and boundaries, and avoiding offending others.

Council members are expected to honor the content and spirit of this code.

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