|
Year
|
Fire Chief appointed
|
Benchmarks
|
|
1944
|
Jim Carroll
|
PH Rural FPD formed on July 6, 1944
|
|
1947
|
Fran Foor
|
First new pumper purchased
|
|
1948
|
|
Volunteers build first fire station themselves using carnival proceeds
|
|
1962
|
William Andrew
|
Volunteer FFs went on strike; MPFD took over for four months until issues settled with new fire chief
|
|
1969
|
Don Gould, Sr.
|
|
|
1971
|
|
Bond referendum to expand fire station and buy pumper and first ambulance
|
|
1980
|
|
Report on forming a city FD made but no action taken
|
|
1981
|
|
PHFPD joins Regional Emergency Dispatch (RED) Center to ensure emergency phone is answered 24 hours a day
|
|
1984
|
|
Referendum held to establish an ambulance tax; passed by voters
|
|
1985
|
|
Paramedic service began with a new ambulance; part time employees staffed fire station to ensure paramedics were on duty and available 24 hours a day.
|
|
1988
|
Don Gould, Jr.
|
|
|
1993
|
|
Fire district stopped contracting for personnel with the firefighters association and became the actual employer of the firefighters
|
|
1995
|
|
PHRFPD begins to service the Palwaukee Area (formerly Wheeling Rural) fire district (city’s east side) using temporary fire station.
Daily staffing increases from three FFs to eight FFs.
|
|
1997
|
|
PHRFPD and PAFPD are consolidated by voter referendum into one, the PHFPD.
|
|
2000 & 2001
|
|
Fire Chief then both Deputy Chiefs become full time employees of the fire district.
|
|
2004
|
|
Voter referendum increases tax levy to pay for small contingent of full time firefighters. At same time, Village of Wheeling annexes almost all unincorporated areas reducing tax base.
|
|
2005
|
|
Three captains and six FFs hired full time.
|
|
2009
|
|
Three more full time FFs hired using federal grant.
|
|
2015
|
|
PHFPD enters into its first labor contact with Teamsters Local 700 who represents the full time firefighters.
|
|
2016
|
Drew Smith
|
Chief Gould, Jr. retired after 49 years with the PHFPD, 28 as fire chief with his last 16 as a full time employee.
|
| 2019 |
|
July 6 marked 75 years of service to Prospect Heights.
An anniversary party and alumni reunion was on November 2 at Old Orchard Country Club to celebrate the 75th anniversary.
|
| 2020 |
|
In March the Covid pandemic begins.
As a result of unpaid property taxes, annual income is ten percent behind expectations. This results in a reduction in daily staffing from nine per shift to seven per shift with each firehouse operating a a jump company.
|
| 2021 |
|
A new Squad 9 (2020 Sparten/Alexis rescue pumper) is place in service.
Battalion Chief Scott Olsen retires.
Lieutenant Andy Plonski is promoted to battalion chief.
|
| 2022 |
|
Six additional full time members are hired to improve staffing due to the substantial decrease in part time members and few part time applicants.
|
