By Karen Haave
There was some cool stuff going on at Monee Fire Department’s open house on Saturday.
Oh, sure, there was the demonstration of the 100-foot tower ladder, which made everyone dizzy just watching it ascend into its full height. The ladder truck is valued at $2.5 million, by the way!
And there were some great giveaways, as well as free hot dogs and popcorn.
But the best part is meeting the fire station crew and learning things about them you didn’t know. For instance, Monee Fire Chief Carl Nieland told us that all Monee firefighters also are required to be an EMT or a paramedic. They all have a “get it done” type of personality.
“They come with a variety of skills and talents, such as computers, carpentry, mechanical,” he said. “And they spend approximately one-third of their time away from their family, 24 hours on, 48 off.”
Moreover, he said, “The hardest part of the job is responding to critical pediatric incidents.”
That’s balanced a bit, though, by the best part, which is being able “to help people in their time of need.”
The number one question they get is “What do you do?” The answer is long.
“We check our equipment, we train, we respond to emergency incidents, we do public education and fire safety inspections. We respond 24 hours a day. We are the catch-all,” the longtime fire administrator smiled.
“When there is a water leak and they don’t know how to turn off the water, they call 911 for help.”
For those who might not realize it, Monee Fire Protection District has two stations and seven personnel on duty every day. The department fleet includes three paramedic ambulances, three fire engines (two equipped with paramedic gear and auto extrication tools), one water tender that carries 3,000 gallons of water and can pump 1,000 gallons per minute, one brush truck, one pick-up, and two staff cars.
Not above a little boasting, Chief Nieland noted, “We have an ISO class rating of three in the areas with fire hydrants and a class 5 in the non-hydrant areas. Class 1 is the best, class 10 is the worst.” (The ISO rating in a community can directly impact the cost of a homeowner’s insurance policy. If an area has a good ISO fire rating, the insurance premium could be more affordable.)
Oh, and those TV shows about rescue and firefighting are fun, he said, but “don’t really mirror the fire service. Too much hype and drama.”
Captain Mark Seliga agreed.
“The shows are very different (from the actual job),” he said. “We don’t have as much drama and, if we did half the things they do, we would be seriously injured or out of a job. Plus, our patients and the community would not be happy with us.”
Seliga said the five things everyone should know about firefighters are:
“We Love our job.
“Firefighters have a variety of experiences in life. Some are carpenter’s, others are good with computers, the list goes on.
“We live in the firehouse for 24 hours. Our shifts are 24 hours on and 48 off.
“Some firefighters are great cooks. I’m one of those.
“We are all people, as well. We are moms, dads, brothers, sisters, sons, and daughters.”
And some things people should know about the fire protection district are:
“We cover 36 square miles.
“We have three engines, one tower ladder, three ambulances, one tender, one brush truck, one pickup truck, and two staff vehicles.
“The stations are staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.
“When significant events or weather occur, we bring up our staffing from our normal level. We try and always be prepared to serve the community, no matter what the weather is or other events may be happening.
“We have two stations, with seven people on.”
Seliga agreed with the chief that “Critical pediatric calls are always tough.” But the best part is the good they can accomplish.
“Usually, the gratification of a job well done is a pretty good high for us all,” he said. “I would also have to say the bond and camaraderie within the group. It’s like having a second family.
“Talking to the public is always a great thing, as well. We love follow-up (after an emergency), since so many times our interaction and knowledge of a call ends when we leave a scene or drop someone off at a hospital. So always feel free to stop up at the firehouse or give us a call and let us know how things worked out.”
Kate Maniates, Firefighter/Paramedic who demonstrated the tower ladder, said, “A lot of people ask what inspired us to be firefighters and what steps we took to becoming firefighters.
“The first question is different for everyone. Some are inspired by family members in this profession and some by experiences they had with firefighters growing up. Personally, I got my fire (certification) so I could be on an ambulance doing 911 calls. I ended up loving the fire side, as well.
“To become a firefighter, I attended a nine-week fire academy that had both classroom and practical training. We have to pass a written test and physical test at the end of the course that certifies us as firefighters.”
Although she hasn’t really watched much of the popular “Chicago Fire” TV show, she said her mom is a huge fan.
“I think “Chicago Fire” has to be a little more dramatic and sensationalized for TV,” she said.
“A lot of our job is routine and stuff we deal with regularly. The show seems to do well with the gear and equipment the crews wear, which is fun to see.”
Some things she would want people to know about firefighters include: “We train really hard. Our learning never stops. We always are practicing and using new techniques or devices on both the EMS and fire side.
“We work 24 hour shifts with 48 hours off. This is pretty typical with fire departments, and we get used to it.”
For her, the hardest part of the job is running from one call to the next.
“It can be challenging sometimes to let go of one call to run the next. It doesn’t matter what call we just got done with, we have to still be ready to take the next one.”
But like her colleagues, “Helping people in the community” is the best part.
“We see a lot of people on their worst days, and we hope to be a positive difference in those situations.”
