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Crime & Safety

Fire Department Looks to Sell Ladder Truck

Mutual aid agreements with area fire departments mitigates need for ladder truck. Will replace with multi-purpose fire fighting vehicle.

In order to capitalize on mutual aid agreements with area fire fighting forces, the is looking to sell its only ladder truck and replace it with a multi-purpose fire fighting vehicle.

On Monday night La Grange Fire Chief Bill Brygalksi presented the La Grange Board of Trustees with an outline to streamline fire fighting in La Grange. Brygalski said the sale of the truck is part of a “big picture” view of fire fighting in the southwest suburbs.

The chief said the ladder truck, which was originally purchased in 1993, is rarely used when the department responds to fires in La Grange. It is primarily used when the department assists other departments outside of town, he said.

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“We just don’t typically use that truck around town,” Brygalski said.

The La Grange Fire Department has mutual assistance agreements with fire departments in neighboring municipalities, including La Grange Park, Western Springs and Brookfield. Each of the fire fighting units in those towns has ladder trucks.

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That does not mean there are no ladder trucks used to fight fires in La Grange though. Just as the La Grange Fire Department responds to calls in other municipalities, so other fire departments respond to La Grange fires. Brygalski said those departments have ladder trucks which can be used if a fire breaks out in a tall structure like the La Grange Towers.

During Monday’s board meeting one trustee questioned whether or not other fire departments would dispose of their ladder trucks due to the mutual aid agreements.

Brygalski said that was not likely and pointed to La Grange Park, which has many buildings that are of a height that would require a ladder truck if a fire broke out on the upper floors.  

A ladder truck usually has a service life of between 20 and 25 years, Brygalski said. He said if the department opted to replace the ladder truck with a new one, it would cost between $800,000 and $1 million.

The multi-purpose vehicle Brygalski hopes to purchase costs $500,000 -$600,000. He said a multi-purpose vehicle see more use in La Grange, which would make it a better use of taxpayer funds.

“It’s a more versatile truck, which will allow more equipment to be brought to a fire and has capabilities of having advanced life support equipment on board. It’s like having a giant tool box with an added life support service,” Brygalski said.

He said if the department’s ambulance is out on another call, the multi-purpose vehicle will be able to respond to any call for medical assistance.

The board of trustees will have to approve the sale of the ladder truck and the purchase of a multi-purpose vehicle. Brygalski said he expects those items will be on the agenda for the May 9 board meeting. Once the action is approved, Brygalski said he expects the sale and purchase process to take between six and nine months, however, he said that is only an estimate.

“It would be premature to give a hard time line when none of this has been approved, “Brygalski said. “Right now we’re just in the infancy stage of this plan.”

Brygalski said the first step will be listing the ladder truck with a broker who will handle the sale.

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