Orland, Palos fire districts mull merger

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Jim Hickey

Updated: February 14, 2012 10:20AM

The Orland Fire Protection District should explore the possibility of consolidating with neighboring Palos Fire Protection District, Jim Hickey, president of the Orland district’s board, said Thursday.

Hickey said combining the fire districts would reduce costs to residents of both, and he plans to ask Orland district trustees at the Jan. 24 meeting to approve the appointment of a committee to explore a merger.

The Palos district disclosed this week that because of budget constraints, it will not keep both of its stations open seven days a week. Fire Chief Steven Carr told the SouthtownStar that one of its two stations could be closed three or four days each week if the district does not have adequate manpower to staff both.

Carr said the loss of six part-timers — the equivalent of two full-time jobs — made it necessary to curb operations at the stations. The cuts have left eight employees on duty at any given time rather than 10, he said.

“It’s just an idea. But I think we need to talk about it and see if there is an opportunity for the Orland Fire Protection District to take over fire services for the Palos Fire District,” Hickey said in a news release.

Hickey said he didn’t know what made more sense — an outright merger or Orland providing fire and ambulance services to the Palos district on a contractual basis.

“If we were able to combine forces, we would be able to better provide fire services,” he told the SouthtownStar.

He said Orland’s fire chief and head of its firefighters union have talked with their counterparts in Palos, who are interested in exploring a possible combination.

Cost savings could come by eliminating duplication in administrative staffs and supervisory personnel, Hickey said.

“We would look at everything,” he said.

Hickey said the Orland district’s lawyers will study how such a combination could be achieved. It might require only an agreement approved by both district boards, or a referendum might need to be held in both districts, he said.

“We don’t want to jump into anything,” he said.

A major concern if one of the Palos district stations is closed is that response times could increase, Hickey said, noting that portions of Orland Park are served by that district rather than the Orland district. The districts have a mutual aid agreement in which they assist each other during major fires or other emergencies.

“How much more mutual aid would we have to do if they close a station?” Hickey said.

Palos’ station at 13010 S. 104th Ave., in Palos Park, has been closed since Jan. 3 and will remain closed through the month, according to Carr.

Carr said the station closings are not a veiled attempt to rally support for the property tax rate increase the district is seeking in the March 20 election. District residents last April voted down a tax increase.

Even with eliminating the six part-timers, the Palos district has a budget shortfall of about $200,000. Carr said the district eliminated its deputy chief position two years ago, and virtually all equipment purchases are on hold.