Personnel & Equipment

Personnel as of 1996

As of spring of 1996, the Carpentersville Fire Department employed 16 full-time personnel. These consist of a Fire Chief, three Captains, four Lieutenants, eight full-time Firefighters and a secretary. Out of those, twelve are state certified paramedics and thirteen are engineers.

There are thirty-eight part-time Firefighters, twelve of which are paramedics and fourteen are engineers. The remaining twenty-six are all EMTs (Emergency Medical Technicians) or Provisional Paramedics.

Vehicles

The department has three front line attack engines, a reserve engine, a 100-foot aerial ladder truck and two rescue boats for water recovery. The vehicles with the most use are the three ambulances. The department also owns a Suburban used as a command vehicle and two cars that are used by the shift commanders.

Chief Ulreich's Resignation

In the summer of 1996 Chief Ulreich put in his resignation effective in December of 1996. He stated that he wanted to pursue his dream of being a lawyer. He was to finish his degree and enroll in law school.

John Schuldt Appointed to Fire Chief

After a nationwide ad went out to all the fire trade magazines, a search for a new fire chief began. Many applicants turned in their resume to the Village Board. After a long and tedious process by the Village Board decided who their top candidate would be. Lieutenant John Schuldt was offered the position of Fire Chief.

After seventeen years in the trenches, John became Fire Chief Schuldt. As probably anyone’s dream in the fire service, to become a Fire Chief, John’s hard work and dedication paid off for him, the promotion to Fire Chief. On December 20, 1996, Chief Schuldt began his role as Fire Chief.

Chief Schuldt had many great ideas and direction for the Carpentersville Fire Department’s future. The town is growing at an amazing speed and with that comes updating apparatus, manpower and stations.

Expedition Purchase

The department also purchased a 1997 Ford Expedition for the Captains that are the Shift Commanders to use to respond to calls. This was a great addition and tool for the Captains to get around as it is a four-wheel drive vehicle and access to difficult areas could be reached.

More Firefighter Hires

Also along with the opening of station six was the task of increasing manpower. The Chief wanted more full-time firefighters and he received approval in November of 1996 to hire three more firefighters. And again in 1997, the Chief hired three additional full-time firefighters.

Ambulance Replacement

After much use, the reserve ambulance was replaced with a new 1998 Med Tech Ambulance to run front line at Station 1 at Spring Street. Rescue 96 was placed in reserve for the third ambulance if needed.

Fire Station Updates

Chief Schuldt also felt the two fire stations needed to be updated and brought up to modern living conditions. These stations were built in 1958 and were not designed to be lived in for twenty-four hours.

In addition to these improvements, the Chief received approval for six more full-time firefighters, three at the end of 1998 and three more in May of 1999. For the first time in the history of the Fire Department, the eligibility list for full-time firefighter candidates was completely exhausted.

Personnel as of 1999

As of spring of 1999, the Carpentersville Fire Department employed 24 full-time personnel. These consist of:

• Fire Chief
• Four Lieutenants
• Secretary
• Sixteen full-time Firefighters
• Three Captains

Out of those, eighteen are state-certified paramedics and twenty-one are engineers. There are thirty-nine part-time Firefighters, nine of which are paramedics and eleven are engineers. The remaining twenty-eight are all EMTs (Emergency Medical Technicians) or Provisional Paramedics.

With all the progress that the Carpentersville Fire Department has seen in recent months, this department will be ready for the growth and challenges that lay ahead. The pride and tradition of the Carpentersville Fire Department will continue to get stronger and prepare us to charge into the new millennium. With the positive times ahead many new candidates will desire to become a firefighter with the Village of Carpentersville.

Changes in the 2000s

As the year 2000 began, many changes were occurring. The remodel project at fire station Number 1 (old town station) was completed. Steve Roesslein was appointed to the position of Assistant Fire Chief. Plans were being designed for the construction of fire station Number 3 (west side).

The current station being operated out of the house being shared with Algonquin was a temporary station and will be replaced by the permanent one. located at Grandview and Sleepy Hollow Roads. Construction began in September of 2000 and the station opened in August of 2001.

Fire Station 3 Artist Rendering

Fire Station Assessment

As the year 2002 progressed, plans were set in place to evaluate the condition of Fire Station Number 2 located at 305 Lake Marion Road. Sente and Rubel were hired to perform a needs assessment study on the station. Calls continue to increase and Station Number 3 is in full operation. The department staffing as of the date of this report is as follows:

• 23 Full-Time Firefighters/Paramedics
• 26 Part-Time Firefighters
• 3 Battalion Chiefs
• 9 Lieutenants
• Deputy Fire Chief
• Executive Secretary to the Fire Chief

New Equipment

A new engine was purchased in late 1999 and was delivered in March 2000. Another vehicle, a Pierce 100 foot tower ladder was purchased and delivered in April 2000.

As a team, the Fire Department will continue to provide the highest level of service possible to the residents in which we serve.

Shared Fire Station with the Algonquin Lake In The Hills Fire Protection District

One large job at hand for John Schuldt was to finish what was in place when Chief Ulreich retired. The shared fire station with the Algonquin - Lake In The Hills Fire Protection District was a plan that was developed by Chief Ulreich and Chief Kite from Algonquin. The Village of Carpentersville purchased a house in a soon to be built subdivision in the western part of Carpentersville.

The capital to build a permanent fire station was not feasible at this time so this was the way to provide faster response times to the residents on the west side of Carpentersville. Carpentersville would supply the station and one paramedic, while Algonquin would supply the Advanced Life Support (A.L.S.) Fire Engine, and two EMTs. The A.L.S. engine would respond to both Carpentersville calls and Algonquin, and provide Advanced Life Support until an ambulance was on the scene.

Benefits of a Shared Station

Not only could this decrease response time to the outer areas for both towns, but a chance to do something no other area towns have thought about doing, working together under one roof and providing fire department services to both municipalities.

Serious thoughts were collected and much planning was put into this shared station because this had not been attempted before. Two different fire departments, two different dispatching agencies, and two different towns providing protection from the same fire station.

The fire station was to be numbered Station Six. After the bugs were worked out and the firefighters got the handle on procedures, the shared station was a success until it was closed in August of 2001 when Station Number 3 was opened.

The Village approved the remodel of Station 1 to begin in the fall of 1999.