Saturday, August 28, 2010

HOMELAND SECURITY

Napolitano vows fire service support at FRI
The Department of Homeland Security leader praised first responders, saying homeland security begins with hometown security
By Jamie Thompson
FireRescue1 Senior Editor

CHICAGO — Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano pledged continued support to the fire service during a keynote speech at the opening of Fire-Rescue International on Thursday.

"Even in the context of very tight budget times at the federal level, we will do everything in our power to support you, firefighters and emergency first responders who are working globally to keep us safe," she told the audience in Chicago.
Napolitano went on to explain how homeland security begins with hometown security, praising the people "on the frontlines who dedicate themselves to keeping our communities safe every day.
She told the audience the federal government has worked to ensure the fire service is adequately funded despite the ongoing financial crisis.
"Through homeland security grants and the Recovery Act, we are helping local fire departments protect the jobs of veteran firefighters, rebuilding fire stations across the country, and providing first responders with the tools they need to do their jobs," she said.
Napolitano went on to say changes will be made to grant programs, which, she claimed, would increase funding and flexibility as a means to build upon the "culture of preparedness."
Before her keynote address, Mayor Richard Daley asked the audience for a moment of silence to remember fallen Chicago firefighter Christopher Wheatley, who died earlier this month after falling from a ladder at the scene of a restaurant fire.
Following the opening ceremonies at the conference, Napolitano joined Mayor Daley to tour the Chicago Office of Emergency Management and Communications and met with public and private sector stakeholders, law enforcement officials and first responders.

The center looked good for the dog and pony show. New paint, clean floors, even the display case got its' lighting fixed. Of course they only show off what they want the visitors to see. It's all bullshit. Next time she should just send a check if she really wants to help out. Of course that would only get stolen anyway. She could have at least brought some steaks for the cookout.


Saturday, August 21, 2010

OPEN POST

Sunday, August 15, 2010

SURVEILLANCE CAMERAS





CBS reported a story from Chicago about surveillance cameras and privacy issues. My view is that cameras are a good idea as long as you don't use them to replace the real police. You can't expect much privacy in public these days anyway. With the pervasive use of video and cell phone cameras you might be recorded at any given time. They are used to record the police all the time. We might as well use them against criminals when we can.

The story features Commander Lewin who is moving the public safety unit to the OEMC. His people are occupying much of the second floor. Seems the city is finally moving to restructure the technical floor after the failure of JA and his minions.

Monday, August 9, 2010

RIP FIREFIGHTER WHEATLEY


CHICAGO BREAKING NEWS
Deanese Williams, Pat Curry, Dawn Rhodes

Christopher Wheatley always wanted to be a firefighter.

He studied hard and trained even harder, his colleagues recalled just hours after he plunged to his death this morning while battling a fire at a West Loop restaurant.
"It's not going to be easy," said Scott Buckley, who worked with Wheatley at Engine Co. 5. "He'll always he part of our team. ... He'll never be replaced."
Wheatley, 31, was carrying an ax and a hose up a fire escape on the side of Avec restaurant, 615 W. Randolph, when he fell about 35 feet around 12:30 a.m., according to Fire Cmsr. Robert Hoff.
He was pronounced dead at Stroger Hospital at 1:19 a.m. Dozens of police and fire cars, their lights flashing, lined the streets as Ambulance 15 carried Wheatley's body to the Cook County medical examiner's office. Officers silently saluted.
Fire officials said the last firefighter to die while on duty was William Grant, who died on the way to a call when the fire truck he was in collided with a bus and flipped over. The last time a firefighter died while battling a fire was February 1998, when Patrick King and Anthony Lockhart were killed fighting a blaze a tire store in Beverly.
Wheatley was responding to a grease-chute fire at the restaurant when he slipped while carrying up to 75 pounds of equipment, officials said.
"They had to go up to the roof to open the area where the grease chute extended through," Hoff said, his voice choking up. "Firefighter Christopher Wheatley was making his way up to the roof on a ladder that was attached to the building, carrying his equipment. Apparently he slipped and fell to the ground, causing critical injuries.
"They worked to save his life but it was too late," Hoff said. "He left a mother, father, a sister, and a fiance. He was one of our finest."
Wheatley became a paramedic in 2000 and a firefighter in 2008. Hoff said Wheatley was very well-liked and always had a smile on his face. "He was one of our best."
Firefighters at Wheatley's firehouse talked about his strength and his passion for his job.
"Chris always wanted to be a firefighter," said Brian Reese, with Engine Co. 5. "He was young, he was strong, he was aggressive.
"We're going to miss his strength, his enthusiasm," he added. "The way he brought a smile to the firehouse will be missed."
Buckley called Wheatley "a great guy, a step-up guy, great shape, worked out every day."
"He loved his sports, loved to ride on his boat with his fiance, loved his family."
Both Reese and Buckley said Wheatley was extremely dedicated, taking rescue training courses and teaching classes himself on off days.
"He brought enthusiasm and fun to the firehouse," said. "We have a serious job -- we have to be at the top of our game -- but you also have to have some fun at the firehouse to lighten up how hard our job is, how difficult."
Friends said Wheatley was a big sports fan -- particularly the Bears.
"I'm sure you'll find plenty of people who will sing his praises," said a neighbor in the building where Wheatley lived on the Near West Side. "I pray for these guys every day."

Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and all of the CFD.

Friday, August 6, 2010

THANKS TO IN AND AROUND GARFIELD RIDGE

This sounds far and it is but I used to work there and it took me 40 minutes from Garfield Ridge. The incentives are great there. I left only because I could not work full time any longer....


DU-COMM

DuPage Public Safety Communications

600 Wall Street

Glendale Heights, IL 60139

Phone: 630-260-7500

Website: www.ducomm.org

Salary: $44,054 - $70,678

Application Deadline: 8/11/10

9-1-1 Telecommunicator (Full-time)

Glendale Heights, IL

DuPage Public Safety Communications (DU-COMM) is among the largest consolidated 9-1-1 communications centers within the state of Illinois. DU-COMM is a 24 hour, 7 day a week operation serving 30 Fire/Police/EMS agencies throughout DuPage County. DU-COMM is currently seeking 9-1-1 Telecommunicator applicants that have the desire to work in an exciting, challenging and rewarding career field.

Telecommunicator job duties include:

Answering 9-1-1 telephones

Transmitting vital information to emergency personnel via the radio

Relaying information via the Computer-Aided Dispatch terminal

Monitoring fire/burglar alarms

Answering administrative lines serving the police/fire personnel

Salary:

Telecommunicators have a starting salary of $44,054 with an increase to $46,030 after successfully completing 6-9 months of training

The current union contract pay scale allows for a top salary of $70,678 after just six years of service if you are a cross trained Telecommunicator

Benefits:

Employees start earning paid time off at an accrual rate of 8 hours bi-weekly, totaling 208 hours a year after they are phone certified (approximately 6 weeks from hire)

Additional benefits consist of:

Extended sick leave allowance

IMRF retirement plan

Excellent insurance packages for medical, dental, vision, and life

Advancement opportunities include:

Telecommunicator III (trained on both police and fire dispatching)

Communications Training Officer (CTO – help in the training of new hires and continuing education)

Operator In Charge (OIC – assists Operations Managers in administrative and supervisory functions)

Language Operator (LNG – bi-lingual in Spanish or other designated languages such as: Polish, Farsi, Vietnamese, and Mandarin)

Requirements:

Applicants must be at least 18 years of age

Applicants must have a high school diploma or equivalent

Applicants must be able to accurately type at least 35 wpm
Applicants must be able to pass the applicant testing, full police background investigation, polygraph test, psychological exam and medical screenings

Schedule flexibility and multi-tasking are fundamental

Employees will rotate on all 3 shifts during their first 2 years, therefore all applicants must have the ability to work any of the 3 shifts, weekends and holidays along with overtime that maybe mandatory.
Beneficial Qualifications:
Previous experience in a public safety environment

Experience with multi-line telephone equipment

Bi-Lingual Spanish/English skills

Computer/data entry experience

Applications are available starting August 1, 2010 at:
http://www.ducomm.org/
OR
At our facility:
600 Wall Street
Glendale Heights, IL 60139

Applications will be accepted until August 11, 2010 at 1 PM.
Mandatory orientation and group testing will be held on September 1, 2010 in the early evening.
Space is limited for this testing. Applications will be processed on a first come first served basis.

Tuesday, August 3, 2010

JUMPING SHIP

City Council May Look Much Different Next Year
Up To A Third Of Aldermen Talking About Leaving
CBS

The Chicago City Council could look very different next year, with nearly one third of the 50 aldermen saying they might call it quits.

Ald. Helen Shiller (46th), who has represented the Uptown neighborhood in the City Council since 1987, said this week that will not run for reelection in 2011. Shiller told CBS 2's Jim Williams that 80 percent of her time is spent running her office and taking care of the needs of her the ward, and she wants to focus instead on public policy.
But numerous other aldermen say they might step down.
• Ald. James Balcer (11th), who represents the Bridgeport area, has most recently said he hopes to run for reelection, but he has been thinking of retirement since a recent health scare, the Chicago Sun-Times reported. The 11th Ward includes Mayor Richard M. Daley's native neighborhood, and some have suggested the mayor's nephew, Patrick Thompson, could take over, the Sun-Times reported.
• Ald. Ed Smith (28th), who represents several neighborhoods on the West Side, is also weighing calling it quits, the Sun-Times reported. Five years ago, Smith weighed the idea of running for Cook County Board president if then-President John H. Stroger Jr. didn't run for reelection, but Smith backed down when the late Stroger decided to run. Smith also ran unsuccessfully against incumbent Eugene Moore for Cook County Recorder of Deeds in 2008.
• Ald. Mary Ann Smith (48th), who represents the Edgewater neighborhood and parts of neighboring Uptown and Andersonville, told the Sun-Times that she is "really struggling with" whether to retire, given that she has some major projects still pending.
• Ald. Vi Daley (43rd) whose ward includes the Lincoln Park neighborhood, only told the Sun-Times she would "say something soon" about her future;
• Ald. Virginia Rugai (19th) of the Beverly neighborhood is reportedly considering not running for reelection.
• Ald. Patrick Levar (45th) of the Far Northwest Side is suffering from prostate cancer, and has said he plans to run, but has told colleagues he might not be able to handle a difficult campaign, the Sun-Times reported. Levar is chairman of the City Council Aviation Committee.
• Ald. Frank Olivo (13th) of the Southwest Side has said he wants to retire, but his ward committeeman, House Speaker Michael Madigan, doesn't want him to, the Sun-Times reported.
• Ald. Berny Stone (50th), who has the West Rogers Park neighborhood since 1973, tells the Sun-Times he hasn't made up his mind about running again, but will do so before Aug. 24. He was forced into a runoff against opponent Naisy Dolar in 2007. Some observers have speculated that his daughter and chief-of-staff, Ilana Stone Feketitsch, might run for his old seat.
Some other aldermen might leave the City Council for mayoral runs. Ald. Scott Waguespack (32nd) has said he would consider running, out of frustration with the waste and mismanagement of the Daley years. Aldermen Robert Fioretti (2nd) and Tom Allen (38th) have also talked about running.
Ald. Tom Tunney (44th) has also said he might run if Mayor Richard M. Daley chooses to retire. Mayor Daley has not yet said whether he's running for reelection.
Also, if Ald. Toni Preckwinkle (4th) wins the race for Cook County Board president in November, she will also leave the City Council. Preckwinkle defeated incumbent Todd Stroger in the Democratic primary, and now faces Republican Roger Keats.

Now's our chance. If we can't change mayors maybe we can get some new aldermen. We need pro-union, pro-police, pro-firefighter representatives. People are fed up with the machine so there should be some good options. Look for desirable candidates and vote.