Fire District Gets $178K Grant to Improve Communication Systems

The New Lenox Fire Protection District recently got a $178,423 grant to improve its communication systems. The Assistance to Firefighter’s Grant (AFG) was awarded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

The AFG provides federal funding to meet the firefighting and emergency response needs of fire departments that apply and are awarded the grants. The AFG helps firefighters and first responders to obtain critically needed equipment, such as personal protective equipment, vehicles, and communication equipment. These grants are essential to fire departments to enhance their ability to protect the public. The New Lenox Fire Protection District aggressively looks for alternative funding.

Firefighter/Paramedics Josh Swanson and Robert Buhs wrote a proposal to receive the grant from FEMA for updated communication equipment that would emphasize firefighter safety. 

“Communication is a firefighter’s lifeline," Capt. Adam Riegel said. "If they do not have adequate communication, our firefighters cannot do their job."

The New Lenox Fire Protection District was awarded the grant to cover the costs of the communication upgrades. The communication system has several features to help manage organization during very chaotic incidents. One feature will allow every front line emergency vehicle to be equipped with Mobile Data Terminals (MDT’s). 

The MDT’s allow for mobile mapping, to give the firefighters and paramedic’s the quickest route to an emergency, reducing response times. They can also have the capability of dispatching the closest vehicles to an emergency. Another feature of the updated communication system is that it can allow for possibility of keeping track of the location of firefighters during an incident. All on-duty personnel will be equipped with a portable radio, giving the incident commander accountability of every firefighter on scene. 

Another feature of the communication system is the ability to keep floor plans of local buildings in the MDT units. This allows officers to prepare prior to an incident by entering access information and critical safety data for a location. 

For example, area photos, floor plans, fire alarm panels, and other vital information regarding those buildings that the firefighters may need to know before arriving on scene can be installed on the computer in the vehicles. This helps develop a detailed incident action plan, rapidly compiling all relevant incident information. 

“The software is also capable of fire ground operations management for the incident commander, allowing for bench marks, crew safety and accountability,” Swanson said.

“It is very important that we as officials do all we can to enhance firefighter safety because it then in turn enhances our community’s safety,” Chief Jon Mead said. “We want to provide quality service to the people and make sure our firefighters are safe doing so. This grant allows the firefighters to focus on their job as opposed to worrying about their safety."