Fire District Approves New Auto-Aid Agreements

The Barrington Countryside Fire Protection District (BCFPD) has approved three new automatic aid agreements that will take effect Jan. 1, 2014, when the district will complete its separation from the Barrington Fire Department and begin independent operations.

The agreements with the with the Algonquin-Lake in the Hills Fire Protection District, Carpentersville Fire Department and East Dundee Fire Protection District increases the number of new agreements reached with surrounding departments to seven.

The board previously approved auto-aid agreements with the Fox River Grove Fire Protection District, Lake Zurich Rural Fire Protection District and Long Grove Fire Protection District.

Fire Chief/Administrator Jeff Swanson reported that the district will also continue its strong, long-standing working relationship with the village of Hoffman Estates to provide assistance, as needed.

"Throughout this entire process, it has been extremely gratifying to see the level of support we enjoy from our neighbors," he said. "We look forward to working with them as we move forward to improve service for residents throughout the area."

District officials hope to finalize an auto-aid agreement with the village of Barrington before year’s-end. However, they are proceeding cautiously and have expressed concerns that the Barrington Fire Department’s reduced staffing levels and proposed operations plan will limit its ability to provide the district with assistance.

At the Nov. 18 meeting, district leaders made important progress on a range of other items, as they continue preparations to operate as an independent fire department. Topics discussed, and actions taken, by BCFPD trustees include:

• Ambulance Billing Services: Trustees approved a contract with Arlington Heights-based Andres Medical Billing to continue providing the district’s ambulance billing services. The district negotiated a lower service rate than the one currently paid jointly by the district and Village of Barrington.

• Establish District Chaplaincy: Trustees welcomed Reverend Robert Moll, Barrington Fire Department Chaplain for the past 15 years, to begin steps toward establishing Chaplaincy services for the district’s new fire department.

• Operational Transition Update: Chief Swanson reported that 86 percent (109 of 127) of the required "action items" identified by consultants from the Illinois Fire Chiefs Association that must be completed before Jan. 1 have been fully addressed or are nearly finalized. "Nothing remains that will keep us from being operational on Jan. 1," he told the trustees.

• Appoint Facilities Manager: Trustee Paul Struck was appointed by his fellow Board members to serve as Facilities Liaison. He will oversee ongoing maintenance for the district’s fire stations in Barrington Hills and Lake Barrington, and update the board on progress toward establishing a future third fire station.

About the BCFPD

Established in 1940, the Barrington Countryside Fire Protection District serves portions of Barrington Hills, South Barrington, Lake Barrington and Inverness; and portions of unincorporated Cook, Lake and McHenry Counties. The district currently purchases emergency fire and medical service from the Barrington Fire Department, through an intergovernmental agreement between the District and Village of Barrington. The agreement will expire on Dec. 31, 2013.

The board of trustees meets the third Monday of each month, 6:30 p.m., at the district’s Lake Barrington headquarters, 22222 N. Pepper Rd. For more information visit www.bcfpd.org or call (224) 848-4800.

Submitted by the Barrington Countryside Fire Protection District