Rhys Saunders
The State Journal- Register
LAKE SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — A home on Lake Springfield was destroyed by fire Monday afternoon, but Springfield Fire Department officials say an out-of-service engine at Toronto Road’s Station 11 didn’t affect their response time.
The firefighters’ union disagrees.
A 73-year-old man living inside the house suffered smoke inhalation and was taken to Memorial Medical Center by a private vehicle. His injuries were not believed to be serious.
The fire at 31 Marquette Lane was reported at 11:39 a.m. and firefighters were notified at 11:40 a.m. The first fire engine from Station 2, 2810 Stevenson Drive, arrived at 11:47 a.m., according to Greg Surbeck, assistant Springfield fire chief. He said the out-of-service engine at Station 11, 1805 Toronto Road, did not affect the department’s response time.
“If Engine 11 had been up and going, we would have had another engine here sooner and three more people,” Surbeck said. “We did get a unit with water on scene as the first vehicle here, and all the fire stations were open today.”
Tony Burton, president of the International Association of FireFighters Local 37, said the engine shutdown “absolutely” affected response time.
Station 7 rig sent
“We send four engines to every fire like that,” he said. “Now, they’re coming from a lot farther away. It has to affect it.”
Engine 11’s replacement came from Station 7 at 1428 S. Glenwood Ave., according to Surbeck, who conceded that “if (Engine) 11 was in service, it would have gotten there quicker” than the engine housed at Station 7. Five engines in all were sent to the fire.
Mayor Frank Edwards, a former Springfield fire chief, said the engine shutdown isn’t affecting response times.
“I think it becomes a disservice when you make a claim out there that puts the fear in the public,” he said. “Yeah, there is a decrease in manning because we can’t afford it. It comes down to can we afford to pay more taxes, and the public has said ‘no.’”
Edwards said the decision to move fire vehicles was made by Fire Chief Barry Helmerichs’ decision.
“This was a decision the chief wanted to make on this company,” Edwards said. “We’re living by the contract. I don’t feel I’m putting anybody at jeopardy here. If there was an engine house closed, then I think that might be a different situation, but an engine house isn’t closed.”
Helmerichs couldn’t immediately be reached.
Surbeck said Edwards told the department to cut costs, and Helmerichs chose Engine 11 based on the number and times of responses for each station, as well as proximity to other stations.
“He determined that Engine 11 would have the least impact,” Surbeck said.
4-minute goal
Burton said firefighters typically shoot for a response time of four minutes. However, when a Lake Springfield house catches fire, response times are longer.
“Naturally, being on the other side of the lake, it’s going to be extended because there’s no (fire) house,” he said.
Engine 11 has been in and out of service periodically since March 14, mostly because of staffing issues including illnesses and vacation days, Surbeck said.
It was in service for 12 hours on March 15 and all day March 16, Surbeck said. It was out of service every other day, but was scheduled to be operating Monday night.
The Engine 11 situation is part of a restructuring plan ordered by Mayor Frank Edwards, who reduced the number of required on-duty firefighters from 49 to 46 per shift and reassigned three of seven safety inspectors. Edwards, a former fire chief, said the moves are intended to reduce overtime costs by $600,000 to $700,000 a year and reallocate manpower to provide essential firefighting services.
The union has filed two grievances, saying the moves violate its union contract.
Surbeck said there was no way to prevent destruction of the Marquette Lane home.
“When we got the call, I could see the fire from Ninth (Street) and Capitol (Avenue),” he said. “When you can see it six miles away ... it was just a huge amount of fire.”
Two houses on either side of the home at 31 Marquette Lane also sustained some damage, Surbeck said.
The victim said the blaze started in the fireplace, but firefighters were still investigating the cause, Surbeck said.
Firefighters were also stymied by a shortage of water hydrants and mains near Marquette Lane, Surbeck said. The battalion chief in charge called Rochester firefighters to provide a tanker, which is filled with water.
“Water was an ongoing issue, like it always is,” Surbeck said.
Copyright 2011 The State Journal- Register
All Rights Reserved