Before addressing the article posted in the Elburn Herald dated June 26, 2008, the Kaneville Fire Department would like to remind all citizens of all communities to dial 911 and not to dial your local fire or police departments for any emergencies.

            One reason for this is that the 911 operator will be able to route the correct emergency services to the location. The 911 operator also has other information that may alert the responders that there will be a need for mutual aide from other departments. Kaneville, Big Rock, Elburn, Maple Park, Sugar Grove, as well as neighboring departments all have contingency plans if there are circumstances beyond their control. This would be directed by the 911 dispatcher.

            An example of this would be if a fire alarm is activated at any Kaneland School, then Kaneville, Big Rock, Elburn, Maple Park, Sugar Grove, North Aurora and Batavia will respond. If more assistance is needed, the dispatcher will be able to assign the appropriate department to support the situation without jeopardizing any other districts. In addition to the support from multiple communities, there are also professional nurses that all of the responders rely on for vital information. Responders also have employed pre-planned systems that allow the responding units with vital information on many aspects of multiple types of disasters.

            As with this example and any other situations, the Kaneville Fire Department District is covered and assisted by all surrounding departments and agencies. This is another major reason for all emergencies to go through the 911 dispatchers rather than calling a specific agency directly.

            According to the official records from the State Fire Marshal’s Office, the average medical response time for the Kaneville Fire Department Protection District for any location in the district is seven-and-a-half-minutes.

            The Kaneville Fire Protection District is proud to train on a weekly basis. The training includes fire training documented by the State of Illinois, and emergency medical training, which is governed by the Southern Fox Emergency Medical Services.

            Now to address the article that was written in the Elburn Herald on June 26, 2008. Due to the HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) Laws, I cannot discuss any medical cases. However, there are many questionable accounts stated within this article.

            The change to Big Rock for ambulance service was effective on February 1, 2004. Notice of this change was noted on our website and was also published in the local newspaper.

            The Kaneville Fire Protection District, as well as all our supportive agencies, has proven time and time again their outstanding service to all districts in fire and EMS services. Kaneville Fire Protection District and its supportive agencies have always, and will continue to provide, all services in a professional, safe and financially responsible manner.

Chief David Sigmund