Local Resources

Cook County: www.co.cook.il.us
Cook County Sheriffs Police: www.cookcountysheriff.org
Eisenhower Library: www.eisenhowerlibrary.org
Giles and Leigh School District 80 - www.norridge80.org
Illinois State Police: www.isp.state.il.us
Harwood Heights, Norridge Chamber of Commerce - www.harwoodchamber.org
JFH Educational Academy www.jfhacademy.com
Main South High School: www.south.maine207.org
Office of the State Fire Marshall: www.state.il.us/osfm
Norridge Park District -  www.norridgepk.com
Pennoyer School - www.pennoyerschool.org
Ridgewood High School: www.ridgenet.org
St. Paul Lutheran Elementary School www.stpaulcanfield.org
The Academy at Divine Savior www.stpriscillaacademy.org
Union Ridge School - www.urs86.k12.il.us/
Village of Norridge (includes Police and Public Works): www.villageofnorridge.com
Village of Harwood Heights (includes PD and Public Works): www.harwoodheights.org

Fire and Life Safety Resources

American Burn Association: www.ameriburn.org
Consumer Product Safety Commission: www.cpsc.gov
Home Safety Council: www.homesafetycouncil.org
Illinois Poison Control Center: www.mchc.org/ipc
Illinois Fire Safety Alliance: www.ifsa.org
Safety Resources: www.safetyresource.org/firesafety.html
Seatcheck.net: www.seatcheck.net
SafeKids: www.safekids.org

Additional Resources

Alzheimer's Resource Site:  www.thiscaringhome.org
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms: www.atf.treas.gov
Federal Aviation Administration: www.faa.gov
Federal Emergency Management Agency: www.fema.gov
Illinois Department of Public Health: www.idph.state.il.us
National Transportation Safety Bureau: www.ntsb.gov
National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health: www.cdc.gov/niosh
National Fallen Firefighters Foundation: www.firehero.org
Occupational Safety and Health Administration: www.osha.gov
Residential Fire Sprinkler Protection Systems by Home Fire Sprinkler Coalition:
 www.homefiresprinkler.org
Underwriter's Laboratory: www.ul.com

Articles

What I Wish People Knew About EMS, Firefighters, Dispatchers and Law Enforcement

Department News

MARCH 14TH IS GREAT TIMING
FOR FIRE SAFETY!

Spring is fast approaching, and snow melts faster than it accumulates. March means a lot of things to the Fire Service. The nature of the calls we respond to are a little different than they were last month, and we work on addressing different safety topics than we did when it was cold out.

One opportunity we have for making our homes safer in March is Daylight Saving Time (improperly referred to as Daylight Savings Time). For hundreds of years time was based on the position of the sun (some of the first ‘timepieces’ were sundials), and noon was always when the sun was at it’s highest, which meant it was always a local phenomena. Although this way of determining time of day (called Apparent Solar Time) works locally, it plays havoc with travelers, who is the early days of travel would have to reset their watches sometimes more than 5 times along a thirty mile ride. In fact, the transportation industry is responsible for Daylight Saving Time as we know it (and in the U.S. it is currently regulated and changed as necessary by the Department of Transportation), and they have been since it was first instituted anywhere in the world, back in 1840 with the English railroads adoption of London time.

So how do railroad timetables and adoption of time zones help us at home? Because it gives us a reliable method of scheduling maintenance that can be performed while changing our clocks to reflect the ‘new’ time of day. Smoke Detectors should be checked for service monthly, but we ask that all residents replace their batteries twice a year, and we selected the Daylight Saving Time for this (this year-the date we change our clocks and Smoke Detector batteries is March 14th, by the way).

Keeping track of time and safety is easier when combined into a single task, and we ask you to also check the age of your Smoke Detectors and see how long they’ve been in your house. Smoke Detectors are most efficient in the first six or so years of life, and many of them have expiration dates to reflect when components are worn out and are no longer considered reliable. Time of day is different depending on your location in the world, but safety never takes time off, so take a moment on March 14th to check those detectors and change their batteries!

January 8, 2010
Engine 103 Receives a New Assignment!

Engine 103 at a residential structure (house) fire near Overhill and Foster ave. in Norridge.	Firefighter Steve Henmueller gives elementary school students a look at Engine 103's tools during Fire Prevention Week.
Engine 103 at a multi-alarm structure fire  at Jerry's Auto Repair.	Engine 103 served as a funeral caisson for Firefighter Christopher Goldsworthy in 2006.
Engine 103 being loaded onto a flatbed for transport to Idaho. Because of the size and clearance of the Engine, a heavy towing company had to be called in to load it onto the flatbed.	Engine 103 loaded and on it's way for Fire Service for the Garden Valley Fire Department in Idaho!

December 31, 2009
Auld Lang Syne

The end of the year marks all types of festivities, from the gift giving and religious holidays to the New Year’s celebrations. The end of one year marks the beginning of another. Many people take time to consider the events that have happened, and think about things that are yet to be. One tradition is the New Year’s resolution. People either select goals to accomplish, or bad habits to give up in the coming year.

Another tradition is the singing of Auld Lang Syne. Although those words as written may not be all that familiar to many people, the first verse is guaranteed to spark recognition. As adapted from a poem by Rabbie Burns, the first verse is “Should auld acquaintance be forgot, And never brought to mind? Should auld acquaintance be forgot, And auld lang syne?”

Auld lang syne translates roughly as “times gone by”. The song reminds us of the importance of the good old days, and the not so good old days. As we wrap up the year 2009 in fun and festivities, let’s take a look at some of our times gone by from this year, and resolve to prevent accidents in 2010.

In the business world, this is called being proactive. Your fire department works daily at being proactive at all levels in the community-whether it’s child safety seat installations, condominium fire safety talks, or having our Fire Inspector check businesses for code compliance. As the New Year approaches, let’s take a moment to resolve to be proactive as individuals, for the sake of our families and us. When you’re in a building, take a moment to find a second exit in the event of a problem-include your workplace here. Check your smoke detectors one more time; watch traffic a little more closely at intersections. If you see someone doing something they shouldn’t, whether it’s under-aged drinking or playing with lighters…make the call. Anonymously or not, a quiet word to the right person can stop an accident before it happens.

We tend to recall our old times when seeing others do things. This world is not the one that we enjoyed when we were younger, however. Our having avoided an accident is no indication that someone else will. So I ask all of you to make a New Year’s resolution for fire and life safety, so we can all sit back one day and talk of auld lang syne!

Winter 2009/10
Stay Safe When You're In Deep

It looks like the snow is here to stay! It seemed for the longest time that our calendar was a month fast when we wouldn’t see heavy snowfall and ice until the New Year. It looks like we’ll be shoveling a lot more this year. It’s a good idea as we predict a fairly snow laden winter to review a little personal and family safety when it comes to removing that snow and ice from our front steps.

For those of you with snow blowers, here are a few essentials to remember, things that haven’t changed a great deal since the first snow blower was introduced in 1953. Number one, and most important: Remember that this is a tool for snow removal, not a toy. It requires diligence and alertness when operating the machine, even for short periods of time. Always check around you when starting and operating your snow blower for debris which could become a flying hazard and children whom may be playing. The blades in the snow blower are not discriminatory towards children and toys; they’ll cut up and throw anything they can. Also remember to turn the blower off before cleaning out clogs of snow. Follow your manufacturer’s recommendations for cleaning and servicing the blower. Don’t take the blower being off for granted! Releasing a plugged set of blades may cause them to suddenly start turning again. If your snow blower comes with a tool for cleaning out debris, use it following the manufacturers’ recommendations!

Of course there’s always the good old fashioned standby, the shovel. For the calorie conscious, a 15 minute spell is considered moderate physical activity, akin to brisk walking or dancing. This is bad news for people whom moderate physical activity or stress can be dangerous, for example-those with heart conditions. The greatest loss of life after large snowstorms is related to the physical activity and strain placed upon the hearts of people doing the shoveling. Shoveling, already a source of higher blood pressure and heart rates, can be made even more problematic if the weather is particularly cold, or you haven’t dressed for the cold properly.

So what to do? If you have a history or heart related problems, don’t tackle the snow head on, get help. Ask your physician if you should be shoveling the snow, and take his advice.

Be careful with the shoveling. Use a smaller shovel to lift less snow (and therefore less weight) with each scoop, and lift properly to protect your back from injury.

Keep hydrated by drinking plenty of water before you begin, and avoid nicotine and caffeine. These are stimulants which will increase your heart rate and blood pressure and place extra stress on your heart.

Dress for the weather, using multiple layers to keep warm. You can always take them off if you begin to overheat.

Think of shoveling as a workout, prepare by warming up appropriately-and listen to your body! If something starts to hurt-stop shoveling immediately!

And finally, be prepared for ice, and potential slipping. Keeping your walkways clean means you and your loved ones can get to where you’re going safely.

Enjoy the new year safely-one step at a time!

November 2009
H1N1 - Why is H1N1 called H1N1?

H1N1 Information

Influenza A has gone by a variety of types and names over the years, the most current so-called “swine” flu being the H1N1 virus...but where does the term H1N1 come from?

Each of the letters stands for an antigen (protein) on the virus itself, which hooks into cells in your body. The H stands for hemagglutinin (of which there are 16 basic shapes) and the N for neuraminidase (which has 9). The virus is identified by these hemagglutinin and neuraminidase combinations. A variant of the 2009 H1N1 itself was first identified around 1918.

For more information about H1N1 and Influenza, please visit http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/qa.htm. The schools within the boundaries of the Norwood Park Fire Protection District can be accessed from our Links section for up-to-date local information regarding schools and the virus.

October 20, 2009
Breast Cancer Fundraiser

The Norwood Park Fireman's Association Local 4210 did a fund raiser for breast cancer awareness. During the open house and throughout the month the firemen sold over 700 t-shirts and raised over $7000 for breast cancer awareness.  Click on the image for a larger view.

October 20, 2009
 Commissioner Menconi Retires

Fire Commissioner Marvin Menconi Retires in 2009 after 27 years of dedicated service. Pictured - Deputy Fire Chief John Kovalcik, Commissioner Marvin Menconi, and Fire Chief Kevin Stenson.  Click on image for larger view.

July 7, 2008
Commissioner Tom Green Retires

Congratulations, Commissioner Tom Green, on your retirement. Your 25 years you served as a Volunteer and Commissioner has made our Department a better place. Your dedication and friendship will truly be missed.

June 12, 2008
Lighting Grant Recipient

The Norwood Park Fire Department is proud to announce we have been awarded a grant from the Illinois Clean Energy Community Lighting Upgrade Grant Program.  The lighting upgrade will enable our department to improve the lighting quality for the firefighters and visitors while decreasing operating and maintenance expenses.  The lighting upgrades will save energy, help create a cleaner community, and serve as an energy efficient model for our neighborhood.  Lime Energy of Elk Grove Village, Illinois has been awarded the contract to perform the upgrade.   For more information on how you can help minimize pollution in our community please call us.

Employment  Opportunities

None at this time.