Amid the mundane news at the Beecher Fire District’s monthly board meeting were some bright notes, highlighting the compassionate care Beecher Fire gives its residents.
Of particular note in Assistant Chief Tim McGannon’s report was a life-saving incident stemming from a well-being call.
A Texas fire chief contacted Heusing for a well-being check on his elderly parents, who live in Beecher. He was concerned as they had medical issues. Heusing was out of town at the time but had the on-duty crew respond for a well-being call.
Upon arrival, the crew discovered the couple needed to be transported to the hospital with advanced life support, as their condition was poor. The son commended the responding crew for their professionalism and thanked McGannon for his responsiveness, as his parents now have the care they need.
McGannon’s report detailed other instances in which follow-up calls resulted in life-saving care, like one check on a cardiac patient who ended up having a cardiac event and was transferred to the hospital.
In another instance, McGannon personally followed up on a patient with mobility issues.
“I helped the patient get to her chair and got her oxygen tubing to her. I was able to heat some food for her and cut it up for her to eat. I sat down with her and went over some resources that are available for her to receive help,” McGannon’s report read.
These were just three instances of follow-up care in McGannon’s lengthy report detailing community support services in October.
In total, the district responded to 53 medical calls, seven lift assists, and three psychiatric calls in October. Five smoke alarms were installed and two smoke alarms were checked.
Also as of the October 23 board meeting, the fire district has responded to 946 emergency incidents in 2025.
Financial News: Draft Levy Presented
District Accountant James Howard provided a draft levy presentation to the board. The district is not expected to levy more than 5 percent over what they levied last year, which would trigger the Truth in Taxation public hearing.
“Tax rates and EAVs, again, there’s an inverse relationship there, so the values in the district have continued to climb, and that’s brought down our tax rate. And as you can see, we’re at the lowest point of the last 10 years at .9292,” Howard explained.
Howard also presented the monthly financial report to the board, with everything looking good aside from delays resulting because of the federal government shutdown.
Medicare payments are not coming in due to the government shutdown, and GMET invoicing is sporadic, which creates some challenges.
Howard noted that with the Fed cutting rates, interest on Money Market accounts is expected to decrease.
In other financial news, Beecher Fire has been working on submitting grant applications for potential benefits of more than $1 million, if all are awarded. Grants include FEMA AFG, FEMA SAFER, RISE, FM Global, and IL OSFM Small Tools.
During the meeting, Chief Joe Falaschetti reported from the MABAS IL governing board meeting there is significant concern about a reduction in federal funding for MABAS, with potential elimination in 2027. However, HB4144 aims to replace the federal funding lost, at least to be able to continue the important critical programs MABAS IL provides.
Community Outreach, Staffing
The district is continuing outreach, with Lt. Carm Welsh conducting programming at the elementary school, currently with the Learn Not to Burn program. Beecher Fire also certified the police department in CPR.
Additionally, the district is assisting the Beecher School District with first-aid standby at sporting events, as discussed at the previous meeting.
With regard to staffing, the fire district is moving forward with hiring five new candidates, Assistant Chief McGannon reported. Two of the five are enrolled in the Romeoville Firefighter Academy and are expected to graduate December 12. One of the two enrolled in the academy completed the EMT program at the Kankakee Area Career Center and will soon take the National Registry EMT test.
Heusing reported the district continues to work on training, totaling 9,204.5 hours this year and 446 training hours just this month, as of the October 23 meeting.
Station and Fleet
The new LED sign, for which the bid was awarded last month, is in production and is anticipated to be installed and operational before the holidays.
Trustee Mike Waterman inquired about the status of the fire station roof, and Falaschetti explained there will be changes for venting and placement to eliminate condensation and humidity issues. The decking, shingles, and vents will likely all be stripped. Until work can begin, a tarp is protecting it.
Deputy Chief Michael Heusing reported that maintenance is ongoing with its fleet; Engine 44 would be temporarily out of service for testing and repairs but was expected to return within a day. Various repairs have been made to the district’s ambulances, trucks, and equipment, many within warranty.
Fire Inspection and Building Code Updates
Falaschetti reported he is continuing to work with the Village of Beecher on the fire code, with the goal of ensuring firefighter and resident safety. He detailed the building codes the village supported with the fire board, as well as the ones they are still working through.
With regard to updating the building code, the fire district’s primary concerns are safety and enforcement: what happens when a building is found to be noncompliant and how the fire district navigates challenges with new building construction, builder costs, and standards.
“I think we’re on the right track with all they’ve included in the draft ordinance. We’d like to get more, but we also want to see growth, and I understand that,” Falaschetti advised the board.
The building code updates and discussions with the village are ongoing.
Falaschetti also reported Firefighter Haas shadowed the village’s fire inspector and reported it went very well. Both the village’s B&F inspector and Haas reported it was a positive experience, and the hope is Haas will be able to shadow the inspector again in the future.
Stephanie Irvine is a freelance reporter.