Staunton Fire Protection District

2008 Annual Report Organization Overview

The Staunton Fire Protection District (SFPD) in Staunton, Illinois, is an all-volunteer fire department located 40 miles northeast of St. Louis, Missouri. The district covers 32 square miles of territory with an estimated population of 7,500. The largest portion of the population (5,500) resides in the city of Staunton, and the remainder lives in the rural farm area surrounding the city. The fire district is mainly a bedroom community with a large portion of its residents traveling to other larger surrounding cities for employment. The city boasts a medium size business district, a hospital, a long- term care facility, an assisted living facility, three schools, ten churches, and some small industry. The district also has a major interstate highway, a state highway, two railways, a private airport, and several pipelines contained in the response area. The district covers portions of three different counties and seven different townships

The SFPD currently maintains a maximum roster of 50 active firefighters (but normally carries a roster of 40-45 active personnel) and approximately 30 inactive and honorary firefighters. The department is structured into 4 companies with 1 captain, 1 lieutenant and 10-11 firefighters per company. A fire chief and two assistant chiefs oversee the overall department operations. A fire department chaplain and a junior firefighter program of 4-8 personnel round out the department roster. Department members average 10 years of service.

The department currently operates seven apparatus, an ATV, and a trailer. Engine 1 is a 1986 Pierce class A pumper with a 750 gallon water tank and a 1,000 gpm pump. Engine 2 is a 2007 Pierce class A rescue pumper with a 1000 gallon water tank and a 2,000 gpm pump. Engine 3 is 2000 Pierce class A pumper/tender with a 1,500 water tank and a 1,500 gpm pump. Tender 1 is 1989 Marion tanker with a 2,200 gallon water tender. Squad 1 is a 1994 Road Rescue heavy rescue truck. Brush Truck 1 is a 1994 Ford 4 wheel drive vehicle with a skid unit that contains a 200 gallon water tank and 500 gpm pump. ATV 1 is 2006 Polaris 6 x 6 all terrain vehicle. The department also maintains a 1946 antique parade truck. The SFPD also operates a special operations trailer that carries the department hazardous materials equipment and a large foam supply.

The department maintains state of the art equipment including two hydraulic rescue tool systems, air bags, five portable pumps, positive pressure fans, large diameter hose, and a complete compliment of firefighting and rescue tools. SFPD firefighters are protected by NFPA compliant bunker gear and state of the art self-contained breathing apparatus. The department maintains a full compliment of personal pagers, portable radios, and mobile vehicle radios.

The current SFPD station was dedicated was built in 2002. The station has a total footprint of 11,955 square feet with 6,900 square feet of truck bays and 8,550 square feet of finished office area. The bay area of the station provides sufficient parking for 9 apparatus. The apparatus bay area also includes an SCBA/compressor shop, a maintenance shop, a laundry room, a restroom, and a generator room. The second story above the shop area is a dedicated storage area. The finished office area of the station encompasses two stories. The first floor consists of a radio/dispatch area, the district board room, two offices, a large training/meeting room, a kitchen, a storage/housekeeping room and two restrooms. The second floor includes a large recreation room, future bunk rooms (which are currently being used for storage and meeting rooms), female and male shower rooms, an office, a dayroom area and two mechanical rooms. The SFPD has averaged 115 calls per year over the last 10 years. The bulk of the incidents are minor in nature and include vehicle fires, utility emergencies, and smoke investigations. The department responds to an average of five working structure fires and 25 rescue calls per year. The department provides rescue services, but a third party, municipal ambulance service is contracted for advanced life support care services.

The SFPD provides a wide variety of support services to the district residents. This includes an extensive public education program, a pre-planning program, an extensive firefighter training program, an equipment maintenance program, a customer service program, a rural water supply program and disaster response services.

The department has a developed a well-defined automatic mutual aid program that is coordinated with fire departments in Macoupin, Madison and Montgomery counties. The department is also a member of the 3M Firefighters Association (a 36 department mutual aid organization), the Madison County Hazardous Materials Team program (a specially trained group of haz mat responders available to all departments in Madison County), and the Mutual Aid Box Alarm System (a statewide mutual aid program).

The SFPD receives the largest portion of its operating funds from the Staunton Fire Protection District that is a taxing district which was established in 1978. Each household within the fire protection district is taxed a basic rate. The current fire district budget is approximately $225,000 per year. All funds collected are administered through a district board. The three-person board manages the financial and legal dealings of the fire protection district. The funds accumulated through taxes are used to buy new equipment, pay for maintenance of current equipment, and pay per capita rates for the contract ambulance service.

Additional funds for the department are generated through fund raising efforts of the volunteers. The volunteers take part in a number of fund raising projects throughout the year which include the annual 4th of July celebration, a golf tournament, and a barbecue. All funds collected are used for department activities or to purchase new equipment.

The Staunton Fire Protection District currently maintains a class 5 ISO rating. The department maintains one of the largest volunteer contingents in the area. The department has won the prestigious Life Safety Achievement Award for excellence in public education for the past 12 years. In 2007, the Staunton Fire Protection District won the International Association of Fire Chiefs VCOS / Volunteer Fireman’s Insurance Safe Vehicle Operation Program Award. Current Fire Chief Rick Haase was named the Illinois Volunteer Fire Chief of the Year during 2001 and the Fire Chief Magazine Volunteer Fire Chief of the Year during 2004.

The SFPD has long been a cornerstone of community service. Besides providing fire and rescue related services, they have been a strong supporter of the community. They have sponsored little league baseball teams, soccer teams, and have numerous donations to other civic organizations.

The Staunton Fire Department/Staunton Fire Protection District has a long history in the Staunton area. The department has been providing quality emergency services to the public since 1923.

Personnel The Staunton Fire Protection District personnel have always been the most important organization asset. The SFPD volunteers receive absolutely no type of financial reward for their countless hours of service to the community. The volunteers do so much more than just respond to incidents. They spend many hours each year training to hone their fire and rescue skills. They conduct over 60% of the required apparatus and equipment maintenance. They spend countless hours conducting public education, pre-planning, and customer/community service activities. Each year the Staunton Fire Protection District volunteers accumulate between 8,000 – 11,000 hours of overall service to the community.

During the 2008 calendar year, the SFPD saw several changes within the personnel structure. The following personnel joined the department during the calendar year:

Probationary Firefighter Mike Bloemker Probationary Firefighter Ken Van De Hey Probationary Firefighter Adam Fontaine Probationary Firefighter Tim Newton Probationary Firefighter Anthony McKay Probationary Firefighter Ed Reiter Junior Firefighter Dakota Tebbe Junior Firefighter Tim Newton Jr. Junior Firefighter Matt Miller Junior Firefighter Jake Rhodes

The following firefighters resigned from the department during the calendar year:

Firefighter Jim Bertagnolli Probationary Firefighter Cameron Michki Probationary Firefighter Andrew Hancock Junior Firefighter Dennis Johnston

During 2008, the following personnel received promotions within the department:

Ray Scroggins was promoted to lieutenant David Wells was promoted to firefighter Glenn Tebbe was promoted to firefighter Anthony Saracco was promoted for firefighter Brendan Clark was promoted to firefighter Bill Adler returned to active duty from an inactive status Ray Trost moved to a medically inactive status after 17 years of active service Ed Wineburner moved to inactive status after 26 years of active service

The SFPD volunteer organization elected to the following personnel to leadership positions:

Dick Brown – President Ryan Ray – Vice President Mary Bryan – Secretary Larry Ziegler – Treasurer Rick Haase – Fire Chief

The following personnel were recognized with service anniversary awards during the 2008: Dick Brown - 25 years Rick Haase - 25 Years Don Houston - 5 Years

The following active firefighters were recognized for service anniversaries over 20 years of service:

Bill Adler – 21 Years of Service Mark Bryan – 22 Years of Service Dennis Crouch – 23 Years of Service Kevin Kuethe – 24 Years of Service Dick Brown – 25 Years of Service Rick Haase – 25 Years of Service Ed Wineburner – 26 Years of service Ron Williams – 27 Years of service Glenn Kellebrew – 34 Years of Service Ron Dustman – 34 Years of Service

The following inactive/honorary firefighters were recognized for membership anniversaries over 50 years:

Martin Przymuzala – 59 Years of Service Jim Sullivan – 58 Years of Service John Vesper – 58 Years of Service Ray Frioli – 55 Years of Service Lowell Lovejoy – 55 Years of Service

The following personnel were recognized for their special service to the fire district and volunteer organization:

2008 Chief’s Award – Firefighter/Chaplain Nathan Meador. Don Kasubke and Dennis Yarnik – SFPD Ambulance Board Representatives Keith Meyers – 2008 Fourth of July Celebration Chairman Corey Painter/Jim Bertagnolli – 2008 Fourth of July Parade Chairman Glenn Kellebrew, Ray Trost and Kevin Kuethe – 2008 Golf Tournament Chairman Jim Bertagnolli – 2008 Illinois Fire Safety Alliance BBQ Chairman Danny Mosser – 2008 Family Picnic Chairman Danny Mosser – Honor Guard Coordinator Ryan Ray – 2008 Recognition Dance Chairman Mark Bryan – 2008 Family Christmas Party Chairman

Bill Knop was awarded the 2008 outstanding fire district trustee of the year award from the Illinois Association of Fire Protection Districts. This year marks Bill’s 30th year as both a member and the president of the Staunton Fire Protection District Board of Trustees. Chief Rick Haase was awarded the 2008 Citizen of the Year Award by the Staunton Chamber of Commerce.

The SFPD volunteer membership has accumulated the following statistics throughout their careers:

Category Total Number Total Average In Department Years of Service Years of Service

Honorary Firefighters 6 287 48

Inactive Firefighters 17 632 37

Active Firefighters 40 438 11

Junior Firefighters 9 14 2

Total Firefighters 72 1371 19

The SFPD year-end membership staffing over the past ten years includes the following:

Category 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008

Honorary Firefighters 8 7 7 7 6 6 6 5 5 6

Inactive Firefighters 16 16 17 18 17 15 15 16 17 17

Active Firefighters 35 41 44 40 42 40 39 41 38 40

Junior Firefighters 2 5 5 5 8 5 6 4 7 9

Total Firefighters 61 69 73 70 73 66 66 66 67 72

Staunton Fire Protection District Department Roster 12/31/08

Chief Rick Haase Assistant Chief Glenn Kellebrew Assistant Chief Kuethe

Chaplain Nathan Meador

Company I Company II

Captain Brian Dustman Captain Dennis Crouch Lieutenant Ray Scroggins Lieutenant Mark Bryan Firefighter Ron Dustman Firefighter Dave Volentine Firefighter David Jones Firefighter Keith Meyers Firefighter Bill Miller Firefighter Ryan Ray Firefighter David Wells Firefighter Mike Masinelli Firefighter Anthony Saracco Firefighter Jon Eaves Firefighter Ken Van De Hey Firefighter Tim Newton Firefighter Brendan Clark Firefighter Ed Reiter

Company III Company IV

Captain Russell Alexander Captain Dick Brown Lieutenant Danny Mosser Lieutenant Corey Painter Firefighter Ron Williams Firefighter Bill Adler Firefighter Jim Aljets Firefighter Larry Ziegler Firefighter Daniel Mayfield Firefighter B. J. Hearty Firefighter Joe Foster Firefighter Ken Newcomb Firefighter Glen Tebbe Firefighter Don Houston Firefighter Adam Fontaine Firefighter Ted Berg Firefighter Anthony McKay Firefighter Mike Bloemker

Inactive Firefighters Honorary Firefighters

Martin Przymuzala Jim Sullivan John Vesper Lowell Lovejoy Pete Passetti Ray Frioli Frank Rizzie Fred Monschein Jim Huhsman Bill Knop Jim Williamson Ed Wineburner Russ Masinelli Norm Ruffini Junior Firefighters Lloyd Garde Larry Bellovich Jr. Firefighter Bradley Clark Don Kasubke Jr. Firefighter Andrew Hamilton Rick Allen Jr. Firefighter Matt Miller Butch Fey Jr. Firefighter Tim Newton Ken Hibbler Jr. Firefighter Jake Rhoades Randy Williams Jr. Firefighter Tony Rowell Jeff Clark Jr. Firefighter Dakota Tebbe Ray Trost Jr. Firefighter Jordan Williams Jr. Firefighter Spencer Williams

District Representatives Department Officers

President Bill Knop President Dick Brown Secretary Bart Yakos Vice President Ryan Ray Treasurer Ron Dustman Secretary Mark Bryan Treasurer Larry Ziegler Incident Responses

During the 2008 calendar year, the Staunton Fire Protection District responded to a total of 116 calls for emergency assistance. This is a 7% decrease in the number of calls seen during this same time period from the previous year. During 2008, an average of 10 firefighters and 2 apparatus responded to incidents. The average response time (time the call was received until SFPD apparatus was on scene) was 6 minutes. The average total call time (time the call was received until the time units were again ready to respond) was 36 minutes. There were no SFPD injuries during the 2008 incident responses and there was one minor vehicle accident involving an SFPD apparatus.

There was only one significant structure fire during the 2008 calendar year. The incident was a residential structure (house) fire on Harris Street on 02/27/08. The structures sustained heavy damage but personal assets were saved. There were no commercial structure fires during 2008.

The fire loss during 2008 was at the lowest level in over 10 years. The overall number of structure fires was slightly higher than the last two years and it was the second lowest number of structure fires in the last 10 years. There was one fire-related death in 2008. The occupant of the commercial structure fire which occurred on 12/31/07 died during 2008 as a result of the burns he received in the fire.

The SFPD saw a significant decrease in the number and severity of brush fires during 2008 due to the wet weather. The SFPD responded to only 7 brush fires. A decrease of 41% from 2007.

SFPD personnel responded to 19 motor vehicle accidents during the year. The SPFD also responded to 19 EMS/police assist calls which was the highest number of requests in a single year in SFPD history. There was an increase in the number of utility emergencies during 2008. Over the past 10 years, the SFPD has seen a steady decrease in the number of residential structure fires and vehicle fires.

During 2008 the SFPD responded to 12 requests for mutual aid assistance and received mutual aid assistance only 2 times.

The busiest months for response were August, November, and December. April, July and September proved to be the slowest incident response months during 2008. The 116 total calls for the 2008 calendar year was the sixth highest number of responses in year in SFPD history.

The highest number of yearly responses since the inception of the Staunton Fire Department/Staunton Fire Protection District includes the following:

Year 2006 1999 2007 2000 2001 2008 2004 2003 1995 1996

Total Calls 188 130 125 121 120 116 108 104 103 103

A month by month breakdown and a comparison of the 2008 incident responses to the incident responses during the past 10 years is shown below:

2008 Monthly Incident Response Review

Type Of Incident 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 Total

Residential Fires 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 3 Commercial Fires 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Vehicle Fires 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 3 Brush/Grass/Trash Fires 1 0 2 2 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 7 Smoke Investigations 0 0 1 0 1 0 2 0 0 2 0 0 6 Alarms Sounding 2 1 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 8 Utility Emergencies 0 0 1 0 1 1 3 9 1 0 2 1 19 Carbon Monoxide Response 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 2 0 1 5 Hazardous Materials 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 3 EMS/Police Assist 3 3 1 0 0 1 0 2 1 2 4 2 19 Rescue – Vehicle Accident 0 2 1 0 3 2 0 0 1 2 1 7 19 Rescue – Other 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 3 Mutual Aid 0 2 2 0 2 0 0 0 1 0 2 3 12 False/Canceled 1 1 2 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 8 9 11 11 4 10 7 6 12 6 8 12 19 116 Total Calls

Incident Response Comparison For the Last 10 Years

Type Of Incident 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08

Residential Fires 9 12 15 8 11 12 7 7 6 3 Commercial Fires 4 4 1 1 1 1 1 1 4 0 Vehicle Fires 12 9 7 6 5 5 4 5 4 3 Brush/Grass/Trash Fires 23 18 10 7 10 7 15 15 17 7 Smoke Investigations 3 9 6 8 7 4 2 3 6 6 Alarms Sounding 3 4 3 6 4 4 4 5 10 8 Utility Emergencies 20 11 10 4 11 18 12 93 5 19 Carbon Monoxide Response 12 10 10 6 7 6 3 8 12 5 Hazardous Materials 1 1 0 4 0 3 2 4 2 3 EMS/Police Assist 5 5 7 4 8 7 4 8 12 19 Rescue – Auto Extrications 20 22 19 14 13 20 21 24 26 19 Rescue – Other 3 0 3 3 1 0 3 1 3 3 Mutual Aid 12 9 18 18 23 16 16 14 11 12 False/Canceled 3 7 3 3 3 5 3 1 7 8

Total Calls 130 121 120 92 104 108 97 189 125 116

Training

Regular training sessions are conducted each Monday evening. The Staunton Fire Protection District is one of the few fire departments in the area (paid or volunteer) that conduct training on a weekly basis. Many departments only train every other week or monthly.

The SFPD training classes are instructed by both SFPD officers and guest instructors. The classes include both classroom training and a large amount of hands on training evolutions. An advanced training program is provided for officers and a specialized training program is provided for junior firefighters.

During the 2008 calendar year, Staunton Fire Protection District personnel accumulated 2,683 hours of on-site training and approximately 1,300 hours of off-site training. This averages out to approximately 54 hours of on-site training per firefighter. An average of 21 SFPD personnel attended training each Monday evening. Lieutenant/Training Officer Danny Mosser coordinates the overall training program.

Outlined below are some of the highlights of the 2008 SFPD training program:

 The training program includes a wide variety of firefighting and rescue training topics and includes an extensive amount of hands on training evolutions. Some of the training topics included rapid intervention team operations, water supply operations, auto extrication, apparatus operation, weather spotter training, farm rescue, rope rescue, and haz mat response.  Probationary Firefighters Anthony McKay and Adam Fontaine are enrolled in the fire science program at Lewis and Clark Community College.  Captain Russell Alexander, Firefighters Jim Aljets, Nathan Meador, Ken Van De Hey, and Junior Firefighter Andrew Hamilton are enrolled in the Firefighter II certification class being conducted at the Olive Fire District.  Chief Rick Haase completed the Hazardous Materials Technician B and the Fire Officer II certification programs during 2008.  Chief Rick Haase served as a field staff instructor for the Illinois Fire Service Institute and is a member of the IFSI industrial advisory committee. He also serves as an instructor and member of the fire science advisory board for Lewis and Clark Community College.  Chief Rick Haase served as the primary course developer for the Illinois Fire Service Institute ethanol response and foam operations training programs that are now being conducted statewide.  The SFPD continued to expand its’ training library. The library contains all types of training manuals, video tapes, overhead transparencies, CD-ROMs which are available for department or individual use. Over twenty-five new additions were made to the library during 2008.  During 2008, the SFPD formalized the officer training program. Each month a management- level topic and fire prevention topic is covered as part of the training program.  The SFPD continues the development standardized training programs for personnel. The SFPD has developed 48 standardized training evolutions and 25 standardized training programs over the past eight years.  The SFPD currently produces a monthly safety bulletin and a monthly personal development bulletin for all SFPD personnel. Over the past four years, 70 safety bulletins and 64 personal development bulletins have been developed.  During the last 20 years, the department members have participated in nearly 50,000 hours of on-site training.

Year Accumulated On-Site Training Average Training Hours of On-site Hours Per Firefighter

1989 1,535 35 1990 1,820 33 1991 3,091 65 1992 3,578 65 1993 2,125 57 1994 2,561 50 1995 2,488 61 1996 2,180 53 1997 2,156 53 1998 2,161 54 1999 2,264 60 2000 2,516 55 2001 2,586 66 2002 2,655 66 2003 2,832 68 2004 3,117 70 2005 2,728 61 2006 2,125 46 2007 2,639 63 2008 2,683 54

Total 49,840 57

 During the last 15 years SFPD personnel have obtained over 50 state and national training certifications. Some of the certifications that have been obtained by department members includes the following:

Certification Class Personnel Certification Class Personnel Certified Certified Certified Firefighter II 9 CPR Instructor 2 Certified Firefighter III 1 Hazardous Materials Awareness 26 Fire Apparatus Engineer 2 Hazardous Materials Operations 2 Fire Service Instructor I 2 Hazardous Materials Technician A 1 Fire Service Instructor II 1 Hazardous Materials Technician B 1 Fire Officer I 1 Hazardous Materials IC 1 Fire Officer II 1 Certified Fire Protection Specialist 1 Technical Rescue Awareness 10 Certified Emergency Manager 1 Vehicle Rescue Operations 1 Certified Safety Officer 1 Medical First Responder 4 Designated Chief Fire Officer 1 EMT – Basic 6 NIMS Level 100 Certified 26 EMT - Paramedic 1 NIMS Level 200 Certified 26 Basic Trauma Life Support 3 NIMS Level 300 Certified 1 Advanced Cardiac Life Support 1 NIMS Level 400 Certified 1

Public Education/Public Relations/Fire Prevention

The Staunton Fire Protection District continues to spend a large amount of time preventing fires and injuries by conducting a comprehensive public education program. Outline below are some the highlights of this program.  During 2008, the Staunton Fire Protection District received the Operation Life Safety Life Safety Achievement award for the eleventh year in a row. The Staunton Fire Protection District was one of 745 fire departments worldwide to receive this special award.  During 2008, the department conducted the following public education/injury prevention activities:

Public Education Activity Year To Date

Newspaper Articles Submitted 326 Cable TV Ads Submitted 116 Radio Announcement Submitted 106 Fire Station Tours 3 Presentations 10 Public Service Activities 19

 The department provides 3 weekly public education articles (one on fire prevention, one on accident prevention and one on fire department activities/programs) to two different local newspapers (Staunton Star Times and Kwik Connection).  The department has partnered with the local cable TV company (Madison County Communications) and two different print ads (one fire safety and one accident prevention) are provided to the cable TV channel each week.  The department has partnered with a local radio station (WSMI) and we provide the radio station with a weekly public service ad which they may use as time is available. The radio ads mirror the current articles which are being provided to the local newspapers in order to help drive home specific topics.  The department has a public education sign in front of the fire station. Weekly fire prevention and safety slogans are displayed on the sign.  The department provides a number of different public service activities. During 2008, those activities included the following:

Date Activity Description Time SFPD Personnel 02/05 Fire Prevention Audit – Sullivan’ Drugs 30 min. 2 02/11 Presentation – Staunton City Council 30 min. 1 03/15 Presentation – Chamber of Commerce 1 hr. 1 04/23 Presentation – Community Memorial Hospital 1 hr. 1 05/01 Presentation – Madison Communications 1 hr. 1 05/01 Presentation – Staunton High School 2 hr. 13 05/04 Burn Camp Barbecue 7 hr. 9 05/16 Parade Escort – Junior High Volleyball Team 30 min. 2 05/17 Little League Parade 1 hr. 5 05/23 Scholarship Presentation 2 hr. 1 05/26 Memorial Day Parade 1.5 hr. 12 Date Activity Description Time SFPD Personnel 06/06 Presentation/Tour – Knights of Columbus 2 4 06/08 Honor Guard Detail at Black Diamond Days 1 hr. 5 06/09 Presentation – The Glenwoods 1 hr. 1 06/29 Honor Guard Detail at Staunton Parade 1 hr. 6 08/02 Honor Guard Detail at Dorchester Homecoming 1 hr. 4 08/16 Honor Guard Detail at Prairietown Homecoming 1 hr. 5 08/29 Emergency Plan Review – Staunton High School 30 min. 1 09/16 Fire Station Tour – Pre-School Class 1 hr. 1 09/19 Fire Drill – St. Michael’s School 30 min. 1 09/28 Standby for High School Bonfire 2 hr. 6 10/03 Parade – High School Homecoming 1 hr. 6 10/04 Parade – Octoberfest 1 hr. 4 10/08 Presentation – St. Paul’s Women’s Group 1 hr. 1 10/09 Fire Drill for Staunton Unit Schools 30 min. 4 10/09 Presentation - Staunton Unit Schools 1 hr. 4 10/09 Presentation – St. Michael’s School 1 hr. 3 10/17 Fire Station Tour – Zion Pre-School 1 hr. 2 10/30 Parade – Lions Club Halloween Parade 1 hr. 4 11/01 Escort for Cross Country Team 30 min. 4 11/01 Escort for Football Team 30 min. 5 12/13 Fire Station Tour – Cub Scout Pack 1 hr. 2

 The SFPD continues to conduct a customer relations program. The program is designed to ensure that the department provides high level of service to the general public. As part of the program, the department installs smoke detectors in homes, install batteries in smoke detectors and recharges fire extinguishers used to extinguish fires.  The SFPD continued to develop its’ honor guard program. The honor guard was requested to participate in a number of area parades during 2008.  The SFPD became one of approximately 60 fire departments from across Illinois that was chosen to become a member of the Remembering When Program sponsored by the Illinois State Fire Marshal. This program provides fire and fall prevention programs for senior citizens.  The Staunton Fire Protection District is a member of Illinois Fire Safety Alliance. The alliance is a statewide organization that administers and support fire prevention programs. Over the past 16 years, the SFPD has received four grants from the alliance to purchase specialized fire prevention materials.  The SFPD continues to expand its’ fire prevention program. SFPD personnel conducted fire prevention reviews of several new commercial structures and also provided fire prevention requirements for new subdivisions. The SFPD also is working the Illinois State Fire Marshal to conduct plans review for all new commercial buildings.  The department conducted a number of special public education activities. Those activities include the following: - National Fire Safety Council Program - For over 20 years the Staunton Volunteer Fire Department has participated in the National Fire Safety Council Program. This program works with local business to raises funds and provides fire prevention education materials to all pre-school through sixth grade students in all schools. - The SFPD volunteers made a $1500 donation to the Illinois Fire Safety Alliance and a $1000 donation to the Muscular Dystrophy Association with donations received from the pork steak barbecue and the fill the boot program held at the 4th of July celebration. - The SFPD volunteers continue to conduct a scholarship program for Staunton High School seniors. During 2008, the volunteers provided $500 scholarships to Junior Firefighters Jordan Williams and Spencer Williams and David Trost son of Ray Trost. - The SFPD volunteers continue a program to recognize the efforts of area residents who provide support to SFPD operations. During 2008, SFPD community service awards were presented to Tim Henke and Robert “Chick” Fritz.  Each year the department recognizes special annual events with press releases, and in some cases, special programs. During 2008, the SFPD participated in over 10 annual safety events including Burn Awareness Week, National Safety Week, Driving Safety Week, Electrical Safety Week, National Preparedness Month, and National Safety Month.  The department participates in many state and national fire prevention and safety programs. The programs include the Check Your Hot Spots campaign, the Keep the Wreath Red Program, Act on It Campaign, Operation Lifesaver, and the On the Safety Circuit campaign to name a few.

Department Projects During 2008, the Staunton Fire Protection District completed or worked on the following projects:

 The SFPD received a $3000 grant from the ConocoPhillips Wood River Refinery and the funds were used to purchase four ice rescue suits and 1,400’ of rescue rope.  The SFPD received a $20,000 Illinois First Grant. The funding was used to purchase 60 new pagers and chargers.  The SFPD purchased and placed in service over $39,000 worth of equipment that was purchased with funding from a FEMA grant received in 2007. The equipment purchased included new intake manifolds, portable monitors, portable foam systems, all new handline nozzles for all apparatus, new portable radios, electronic flare systems, and an additional four gas monitor.  During 2008, the SFPD continued to add new equipment to its’ inventory. Equipment purchased and placed in service included a second vehicle stabilization kit, two vehicle cribbing systems, forcible entry tools, and miscellaneous hand tools.  The SFPD received a new Starcom 21 radio system that has been installed in the dispatch area of the station. The system provides direct access to emergency response agencies across the state of Illinois.  As of December 31, 2008, it had been 2340 days since the last SFPD recordable injury and 2861 days since the last SFPD lost time injury and 323 days since the last SFPD vehicle accident. This equates to a time period of almost 6 ½ years since the last recordable injury to a SFPD firefighter and almost 8 years since the last lost time injury to a SFPD firefighter.  The SFPD is working with Community Memorial Hospital to implement a health and wellness program for all SFPD personnel.  During 2008, the department developed 6 new guidelines and updated 125 old guidelines. Over the past ten years, the department has developed over 260 standard operating guidelines.  The SFPD continues to participate in the statewide Mutual Aid Box Alarm System which will allow them to draw on mutual aid resources from across the state in the event of major incident. The SFPD conducted the following MABAS related activities during 2008:  The SFPD was chosen to house a 20 Kw generator and lighting trailer that was assigned to MABAS 35  A mobile cascade/air compressor vehicle was assigned to MABAS 35 and is being stored in Highland.  A mobile warehouse trailer was assigned to MABAS 35 and is being stored in Edwardsville.  The MABAS 35 haz mat team purchased $25,000 in equipment. The equipment included medical equipment, tools/tool box, overpack drums, thermal imaging camera, decon equipment, and the 28’ enclosed trailer. The trailer is used to store large equipment and decon equipment and will be housed at the Alton Fire Station.  The SFPD developed standardized mutual aid box alarm cards which pre-identify mutual aid resources for all standard types of responses.  The SFPD was assigned standard radio designators which are consistent with other MABAS radio designators across the state  Chief Rick Haase was re-elected as vice-chairman of the Madison County MABAS 35 Division.

 The SFPD continued to work with representatives from several city organizations to continue the planning efforts of the Staunton Area Emergency Management Council during 2008.  The SFPD continued its’ political awareness program to encourage representatives and senators to support fire service program funding and fire service friendly legislation. This program includes regular letters to local political figures and attendance at the annual fire service legislative day.  Chief Rick Haase was asked to participate in both state and national fire service organization programs. He is a member of four International Association of Fire Chief’s Emergency Management sections has served as the vice-chairman of the IAFC Industrial Fire and Safety Section for the past 7 years. He is also one of 20 chiefs from across the state appointed to serve on the Illinois Fire Chiefs Association Volunteer Combination Officer Committee.  The department completed its’ 69th annual 4th of July Celebration. Proceeds from the celebration will be used for routine department operations.  The department, in conjunction with the National Fire Safety Council, conducted an annual fundraising campaign for public education materials for the local schools. Local businesses and organizations donated over $1600.  The department conducted its’ annual pork steak barbeque at the fire station. Almost $1000 in profits was realized and all profits were used to sponsor a child at the Illinois Fire Safety Burn camp.  The SFPD volunteers held their annual golf tournament during September. Proceeds from the golf tournament were used purchase two vehicle cribbing systems.  The SFPD volunteer organization conducted a number of social activities for the members. The 2008 activities included a bowling night, a family picnic, a family Christmas party, a member Christmas party, a family New Years Eve party, a recognition dinner and sponsorship of team in a golf tournament.  Based on a study conducted by the National Volunteer Fire Council, the residents of the Staunton Fire Protection District receive an annual savings of $2,473,000 due to the services provided by an all volunteer staff. This calculates to a savings of almost $29,500 per SFPD volunteer firefighter and a savings of $330 to each resident of the district per year.  During 2008, the volunteers of the Staunton Fire Protection District provided approximately 10,800 man hours of service to the community. Based on the current estimate that volunteer service is worth $18.50 per hour, the SFPD volunteers provided the community almost $199,800 of service.