From the Park Forest Fire Department on Facebook
Park Forest, IL-(ENEWSPF)- As usual, the Park Forest Fire Department had a busy week approaching mid-April. There were 64 total responses. Of these, 14 were responses for fire, and 50 were EMS responses.
Response Activity
Early Sunday, members of the Park Forest FD responded to a box alarm request from Crete Township for a fire on Goodenow Road. This response involved a trailer fire and was primarily a tender operation. The Park Forest engine stood by until released.
Just prior to being released from the Crete Township incident, Park Forest was dispatched on an automatic aid basis to assist the Matteson Fire Department with a heavily involved structure fire on School Avenue. The engine responded from the Crete Township incident directly to the Matteson incident to find fire through the roof on an apparently vacant tri-level home. The Fire Chief was also called to respond to this incident to act as a safety officer for the fire personnel on scene. Units assisted in extinguishing the fire and the overhaul of hidden fires before being released around 2:30 AM.
The fire department also hosted a pair of paramedic student riders during this week who were trying to get in their required number of patient interactions to complete their training program. Due to the high number of EMS incidents run by the PFFD, other departments often ask to assist their personnel.
Training Activities
Monday, April 10 thru Wednesday, April 12, career division members completed EMS continuing education training. These training sessions are supplied by South Cook EMS office and covered the topic of cardiac emergencies. On Thursday, April 13 and Friday, April 14, shift members completed forcible entry training. During these sessions, members used the forcible entry prop at the training site and demonstrated the ability to correctly complete multiple forcible entry practical scenarios.
Paid On Call (POC) division members did not train this week due to the holiday.
Other Activities
On Tuesday, representatives from Park Forest attended the monthly meeting for CART (Combined Agency Response Team), the regional technical rescue group. They met to discuss operational and training issues and the organization’s efforts to utilize Target Solutions to better track and document training.
On Wednesday, the Foreign Fire Tax Board met to discuss expenditures for 2017. This board decided to use the funding to continue projects, purchase exercise equipment for the fire station and various equipment for the fire engines/squad.
On Thursday, the fire department hosted a POD (Point of Distribution) meeting for the Matteson, Park Forest and Richton Park group. This group involves the Cook County Department of Health, the fire and police departments for the communities, Rich Township EMA, SouthCom Dispatch and village administrations to plan for the distribution of vaccines or medications for the masses of the villages should it become necessary.
This is one of many such groups in Cook County who could be involved in the process should there be a mass outbreak or similar situation.
“While we hope to never have to utilize the plan,” the PFFD writes on its Facebook page, “it is important to be ready just in case.”
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