McHenry County Blog

When I left the Lakeswood Fire Station at slightly after one PM Saturday, Lakewood Fire Chief Tony Huemann had handed out 25 keys to the firehouse, part of the Public Works Department garage complex.

The firemen were loading first white, then red hose onto the late 1970's American LaFrance pumper that has been purchased from South Elgin’s department.

They were getting to know each other.

The name on the pumper still read South Elgin, but New Year’s Eve it will go to any fire that occurs in Lakewood.

Heumann told me that, so far, he had gotten to 600 years of firefighting experience among the men who were to man the Village of Lakewood’s first fire department.

I jotted down where a number of the firemen lived and came up with

Algonquin
Cary
Crystal Lake
Elgin
Hebron
Lake in the Hills
Lakewood
Prairieview
Sleepy Hollow
Wonder Lake
Woodstock

And the departments they are now affiliated with or had worked for?

Addison
Algonquin- Lake in the Hills
C'ville
Cary
Elk Grove Township
Fox River Grove
Hanover Park
Lincolnshire
Nunda Rural
Rolling Meadows
Rosemont
Schaumburg
Wauconda
West Dundee

Those who were relative newcomers to the fire service, those working for other fire departments and retired veterans attended the 10 AM Saturday briefing by Chief Huemann and American Emergency Service Corporation President Gary Jensen. Huemann currently works for the Mt. Prospect Department.

Jensen told me he had started five fire departments from scratch, one for a Waste Management industrial waste disposal plant with just two days notice.

I discovered that private fire departments are not all that rare in Illinois. A much larger company named PSI operations maybe three dozen, according to one full-time eastern DuPage County fireman who lives in Woodstock.

In his briefing Huemann described the response to his call for firefighters had been “absolutely unbelievable.” He told me he had 70 inquiries. And wanted more.

Later Jensen told me that that some young men had called asking why they had not been called for interviews. The answer is just that Huemann hadn’t had time to do so what with getting everything ready to roll on New Year’s Day.

The activity reminded me of a “just in time” manufacturing company.

The refrigerator was delivered while I was standing there taking pictures, for example. The signs on the door jam warned that paint on the woodwork was wet.

The firefighters were being fitted for masks.

A cleaning firm was scheduled to come in Friday night to prepare the office and living quarters. Mattresses were stacked next to the police boat, but no bed frames were in sight.

There were enough leather boots for the full-time firefighters, but not enough for all the “paid on call” firemen.

“The fire service is a passion for me,” Huemann told those assembled.

He asked the men to use their own pagers and cell phones until ones could be procured.

For those who had signed on for full-time work, he requested they be professional and give two weeks notice to their current department.

He stressed the importance of the “paid on call” people.

“We’re not going to be able to run a fire department without 'paid on call' people he said. “Every time we go out, we need to have the 'paid on calls' fill the station.

Huemann also stressed the professionalism of Crystal Lake Fire Chief Jim Moore.

“The Crystal Lake Fire Chief has been very gracious,” the Lakewood Chief said.

“We are firefighters. We do not get involved in politics,” he said, alluding dissatisfaction among some of Crystal Lake’s firefighters, I think. “I’ll ask you not to do that.”

Huemann said he would be willing to elaborate in one-on-one conversations, if firemen were interested.

He added, “Chief Moore has been absolutely fine with me on a professional basis. He’s a fire fighter.”

Lakewood Village Trustee Carl Davis spoke to the group and shortly after meeting ended Village President Julie Richardson came by.

Richardson welcomed the new firemen and told them women of the village would supply dinner New Year’s Eve.

Besides the 1978 or 79 pumper from South Elgin, the department has a tanker from Marengo.

Two more fire engines are on the way from Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Some unexpected repairs were needed, so they will not arrive until the first week of January.

A fire caught at its beginning will take “a couple of hundred gallons to put out,” AESC President Jensen told me.

If one is ablaze, “several thousand” gallons would be needed.

Where fire hydrants are not available in Country Club Additions, the tanker will drop a large containers and fill them with water.

Of the nine full-time firemen to be hired, three will be lieutenants.
They are Ross Wagner from just down the road in Lakewood, Jason Thielman from Wonder Lake and Scott Vaughn from Prairie View.

Huemann revealed that mutual aid will first come from Woodstock and, next, from Huntley.

As I was leaving, Alice and Steve Barnett, a couple from South Shore Drive at Gate 13, was bringing in submarine sandwiches for lunch.

Two ambulances were at the station, complete with Lakewood Village Fire Department signage, but state government has not yet gotten around to certifying their acceptablility.

Talking to Trustee Davis, I suggested calling State Senator Pam Althoff and State Rep. Mike Tryon.

I told him my basic advice to citizens was that when state government did something stupid, it was time to all a legislator.

I know from trying to contact state employees for stories I am writing that the state’s new “use it or lose it” vacation policy is leaving more than one department short-handed at the year.

So, maybe a call from a legislator’s office might get someone out to Lakewood on Tuesday. In the meantime, Emergency Medical Technicians will go out on the fire trucks.

Huemann also revealed that the communications requirements imposed by the Mutual Aid Box Alarm System members that McHenry County Blog reported the third week of December have been solved.

Not only will SEECOM, the Southeast Communications Center, dispatch Lakewood's fire calls, but the county system to alert fire fighters of fires in their jurisdictions has allotted Lakewood its own frequency.

Knowing that timing was tight, Huemann revealed at the countywide meeting that Crystal Lake had been asked for a one to two week extension on its contract for Crystal Lake to provide fire protection.

Apparently that request was denied.

And, a post script. Just in case folks don't think these are serious firefighters, take a look at these ten license plates that were in the parking lot: All but one are Illinois firefighter plates and the one that is not says, "FYREMAN 8."

For more McHenry County Blog, click here.

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The first photo is the new Lakewood Fire Department pumper, still with South Elgin identification on it.

To its right the new Lakewood firemen are installing the larger white hose. Immediately below, a fireman stands beside smaller red hose, which was installed next.

The next three photographs are of Chief Tony Huemann briefing the new members of the Lakewood Fire Department.

Company President Gary Jensen talks about payroll details after Huemann, standing behind, finishes providing his information. Jensen urges the men not to use the $40 orange gloves when regular $1.50 work gloves will do--the only indication I saw that the fire department will be run by a for-profit entity--and tells everyone that Huemann is in charge.

The next pictures show the appliance company workers delivering the refigerator before the 10 AM meeting and a fireman being fitted for a smoke mask.

Below on the right is a picture on Huemann giving his briefing and one of Crystal Lake Fire Chief Jim Moore, taken at the countywide MABAS meeting on December 20th in Woodstock.

Lakewood Village Trustee Carl Davis talks to Village President Julie Richardson after the briefing.

A close-up of Gary Jensen is next.

The three lieutenants of the new department--Ross Wagner, Jason Thielman and Scott Vaughn--are introduced by Huemann below Jensen's photo. Note the mattresses stacked behind them in front of the police boat.

Taken after the MABAS meeting is Huemann conferring with Woodstock's Fire Chief Ralph Webster.

Next can be seen Lakewood's Alice and Steve Barnett bringing sub sandwiches for lunch.

The two Lakewood ambulances can be seen below.

The next photo is a close-up of three of the new recruits preparing the pumper for action.

Finally, ten fire fighter license plates on cars in the parking lot.

Labels: American Emergency Service Corporation President, Carl Davis, Crystal Lake Fire Department, Gary Jensen, Jim Moore, Julie Richardson, Lakewood Fire Department, Mutual, Tony Huemann