By Melissa Jenco
The Chicago Daily Herald
NAPERVILLE, Ill. — Naperville and Lisle-Woodridge fire departments are hoping to blaze a new trail by sharing their resources to staff an extra ambulance on some days.
The city of Naperville on Tuesday approved an agreement with the Lisle-Woodridge Fire Protection District.
“This is just a matter of being more efficient with the resources that are currently available to us and something that is very creative,” Naperville Fire Chief Mark Puknaitis said.
At times, each of the fire departments has one employee above its minimum. However, it takes two to staff an ambulance, so in the past that additional employee would be assigned to a fire engine.
The two departments think they can put their extra firefighter/paramedic employees to better use.
“What we would do in a case like that is put those individuals together and staff a piece of equipment that otherwise neither one of the communities could do,” Puknaitis said.
The extra ambulance — sometimes from Naperville and sometimes from Lisle-Woodridge — will be housed at the Lisle-Woodridge fire station on Green Trails Road. Its primary service area will be east of Charles Avenue in Naperville and north of 75th Street.
Puknaitis estimates the joint scenario will probably occur about 30 to 40 percent of the time and told councilmen it is the first time this is being tried in Illinois.
He said sharing resources will not negatively impact current service levels.
Councilmen on Tuesday approved the plan, 7-0.
“My hat’s off to you,” Councilman Richard Furstenau told Puknaitis. “I wish everybody in the state would start sharing a lot of different things ... and maybe we could lower some people’s tax bills.”
Trustees from the Lisle-Woodridge Fire Protection District have already approved the agreement.
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