Tuesday, April 30, 2013
Should new single-family homes be required to have fire sprinklers? During an initial discussion, village officials discussed whether sprinklers are worth the cost and whether government should dictate their use.
A proposal to require sprinkler systems in new single-family homes received mixed reviews from Buffalo Grove trustees Monday night. Under a suggestion by village staff — and supported by the Buffalo Grove Fire Chief Terry Vavra — sprinklers would be mandated for new construction, but optional for home additions. At an estimated $2.50 per square foot, sprinklers could add about $12,000 onto the cost of a 3,000-square-foot home with a full basement, officials said during a committee of the whole meeting. “It’s a considerable amount of money to place on the homeowner,” said Trustee Steve Trilling, who wondered whether the added price would make Buffalo Grove’s housing market less competitive. “It’s a lot of money, but people spend that much …
The Buffalo Grove Fire Department conducted a side-by-side fire demonstration Monday, showing the difference between a fire in a room with a sprinkler and a fire put out by solely by firefighters.
The Buffalo Grove Fire Department demonstrated the merits of home sprinklers Monday night with a controlled burn on the village’s municipal campus. A crowd of village staff and elected officials gathered to watch as firefighters set on fire a room containing two upholstered chairs, curtains, a television and other items that might be found in a home. In the first demonstration, a single sprinkler was installed overhead. Within seconds, heat from the fire caused the sprinkler to open. Water from the sprinkler, which Deputy Fire Marshal George Michehl said emitted 13 gallons of water per minute, quickly brought the fire under control and damage to the room was minimal. In a second demonstration, firefighters lit an similar room on fire. …
Monday, April 22, 2013
Buffalo Grove police and paramedics responded to an April 22 crash at the intersection of Dundee and Buffalo Grove roads.
One person was taken to a hospital Monday night following a crash between two SUVs that shut down the intersection of Dundee and Buffalo Grove roads. Buffalo Grove Sgt. Tim Gretz said a driver attempting to turn from westbound Dundee Road onto southbound Buffalo Grove Road was hit by an eastbound vehicle just before 10 p.m. Monday night. A person in the eastbound vehicle was transported to the hospital with facial abrasions and a leg injury, Gretz said. The accident is under investigation and no citations were issued at the scene, he said. Buffalo Grove police and fire personnel closed Dundee Road in both directions as well as northbound Buffalo Grove Road as the accident was cleared. All lanes were reopened around 10:30 p.m., Gretz said. …
Wednesday, April 17, 2013
Lightning could be to blame for house fire.
- POLICE & FIRE
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Wednesday, April 17
Buffalo Grove firefighters rescued a dog from a house that caught fire around 3 p.m. Wednesday, according to the Journal & Topics. A police department official told the paper that the fire on the 100 block of Manchester Drive is under investigation, and that it may have been caused by lightning. No one was reported injured. Firefighters from nearby suburbs reponded to a number of fires Wednesday afternoon, with at least some of them reportedly caused by lightning strikes, according to dispatch reports shared on the Lake & Mchenry County's FD Incidents Facebook page.
Thursday, March 21, 2013
Wendy Durkin, Buffalo Grove Fire Department battalion chief, was honored this week as part of a statewide Women's History Month celebration.
Buffalo Grove Fire Department Battalion Chief Wendy Durkin was recognized Tuesday for her 35 years in the fire service by Illinois Comptroller Judy Baar Topinka. Durkin was among 15 fire service leaders saluted as part of Topinka’s office’s celebration of Women’s History Month. Durkin began her career at age 15 as a cadet in Mundelein. At age 18 she became a member of the Long Grove Fire Protection District and in 1988 Durkin was hired full time at the Buffalo Grove Fire Department. She started as a firefighter-paramedic and has risen through the ranks, first as a lieutenant and then in 2011 to her current rank of battalion chief, where she is assigned as the emergency medical services officer. “This award is for all the little girls out …
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
Kilmer Elementary School's library received new books Wednesday, donated in honor of a toddler who died in a 1994 fire across the street from the school. The Buffalo Grove Fire Department will deliver books to two more schools next week.
Kilmer Elementary School students have some new books to read, thanks to a donation to the school library Wednesday by the Buffalo Grove Fire Department. The books, which contain stories about fire safety, fire trucks and other related topics, were provided in memory of Grant Wonders, a 2-year-old who died in a house fire on Jan. 27, 1994. The child’s family lived across the street from Kilmer School. The fire was caused by the boy playing with a lighter, said John Gilleran, the department’s public education and information officer. Soon after, the Buffalo Grove Fire Department established a fund in Grant’s name to benefit fire safety education for young children. “A memorial fund was set up because there were a number of inquiries from …
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Rescuers spent Wednesday morning practicing pulling to safety a person who fell through the ice.
Nick Otto sank through the ice Wednesday morning and listened to the encouraging words of his rescuers as they crawled across the pond and pulled him to safety. “The guys are doing a great job,” Otto said, after he was back on firm ground. Those “guys” were firefighters from Buffalo Grove, Long Grove, Lincolnshire and Wheeling, who spent about an hour practicing how to respond if a person falls through the ice. Otto is one of three trained divers at the Buffalo Grove Fire Department. While his days are typically spent serving as a firefighter/paramedic, on this day he spent about 45 minutes in a Buffalo Grove pond, from which rescuers took turns pulling him out. Though he was dressed in a special diver’s suit designed to keep him dry, …
Monday, December 24, 2012
These 10-year-olds got a ride to Meridian Middle School after receiving a Golden Ticket in a Halloween treat bag.
Fifth-grader Adam Noodleman received a ride to school on a fire truck after receiving a "Golden Ticket" in a trick-or-treat bag distributed by Buffalo Grove firefighters. Noodleman, 10, brought his friend Jason Rutman along for the ride to Meridian Middle School. Firefighters passed out 1,000 treat bags on Halloween. Five of those bags included Golden Tickets. — Submitted by the Buffalo Grove Fire Department Previously:
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
The Buffalo Grove Fire Department will host a Dec. 21 blood drive.
Blood donors are invited to participate in a Dec. 21 sponsored by the Buffalo Grove Fire Department in conjunction with the Lake County Fire Departments Everyday Hero Program. The drive will run from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the fire department's headquarters. It will benefit LifeSource. To schedule an appointment, call LifeSource at 1-877-543-3768 or the Buffalo Grove Fire Department at 847-537-0995.
Friday, December 7, 2012
Dive team members from the Buffalo Grove Fire Department held a training last week in a local pond.
Did you notice a dive team at Green Lake Park last week? There was no emergency situation; instead, dive team members from the Buffalo Grove Fire Department as well as the Long Grove Fire Protection District and the Lincolnshire-Riverwoods Fire Protection District, along with other members of their departments acting as shore-line crews, conducted their annual training Nov. 28 in the pond. The area departments trained together because it is difficult for any one department to have the resources necessary when divers are needed. It was also a chance for new firefighters to be instructed on how to assist the divers as shore personnel. — Submitted by the Buffalo Grove Fire Department
Mr. Robertson
6:47 pm on Tuesday, May 21, 2013
Keith - Fire loss has dropped on an ongoing basis whether there are spinklers or not. latest NFPA report shows that. Life loss is down 52%.Your insurance savings on average is $22............ a year. there are 90 municipalities in Illinois that mandate sprinklers in Illinois. not exactly a blistering pace of growth since the 1980's when the first municipaility required it. There are 1,600 … more ›