Beecher Fire District officials are hopeful there is an end in sight to the continuous leaks and problems with the station’s roof, which have plagued the district since its 2020 remodel and expansion.
After the most recent leak turned into a major, expensive fiasco, officials invited contractors R.C. Wegman and FGMA to attend the November 20 board meeting to discuss ongoing issues and gain insight into updated recommendations to address them.
“We’re just a little disappointed, I think, among the board ourselves and the chief as well, that it wasn’t resolved. It just seemed to be an ongoing issue, just seemed to be a disappointment to us, at a cost that’s not in our budget, of course,” President Margie Cook told the representatives, who were sympathetic to the district’s issues.
“You shouldn’t have to pay for it twice,” noted Jason Estes, vice president of FGMA architecture firm.
The board discussed with the contractors what went wrong and what changed regarding the finished project — essentially getting down to how things got to where they were.
In June 2023, the district realized vents on the initial plans were never installed, which contributed to the humidity and water issues. Despite some fixes, problems persisted.
Estes explained that although the roof was built to code, he couldn’t explain why the conditioned and non-conditioned air in the two spaces, the original building and the addition, were not communicating in the way they should and suggested it could be due to short-cycling and wind.
Fire Chief Joe Falaschetti said the full-time superintendent should have caught the issues they’re experiencing, with Wegman in full agreement. Coming into the meeting, Vice President Perry Wegman, of R.C. Wegman, said his firm would waive some costs for new repairs.
On paper, the roof’s venting and airflow should’ve been adequate, the contractors explained.
Though Estes said he wasn’t sure of the exact reason why air wasn’t flowing the way it should, he was confident the third-party roofing expert’s opinion would solve the issues.
“They’d like to increase ventilation to almost 50 percent over to address any issues, which is more than what code requires,” Estes explained.
In order to create the “overcommunication” between the two spaces, there would need to be nearly 100 cuts in the roof, which Estes and Wegman were confident would solve the issues.
Trustees Dave Kolosh and Mike Waterman questioned why these original cuts weren’t part of the original plan and how they could verify that the new cuts would be made.
Wegman advised they would ensure the new roof cuts would be documented for the board since the original ones weren’t.
Board members inquired about what happens if a contractor falls through the ceiling, and damages need to be repaired. Wegman said they would cover it, but Waterman wanted to see it in writing, with the board in agreement.
Despite the district’s disappointment in the roof issues, board members and district officials extended their appreciation to Perry Wegman and Jason Estes for their willingness to make it right and their responsiveness to the board.
The board authorized Falaschetti to make a final decision on moving forward with a proposal, which would be determined following further discussion and negotiations.
In other business, the board approved an ordinance allowing the district to accept payments by credit and debit cards; this will be beneficial for those looking for CPR training and other paid programming.
Falaschetti advised the board the new LED sign would not be installed until January, due to delays.
Assistant Chief Tim McGannon reported he attended Chief’s Day at the Romeoville Fire Academy and was advised the district’s candidates are doing well. Through November 20, the district responded to 63 emergency medical calls.
In total, Falaschetti’s report indicated the district has responded to 1,041 emergency calls, including all types, so far in 2025.
The district is looking forward to offering more robust data and analytics with regard to incident statistics and response times as it fully transitions to ImageTrend software.
Beecher’s vehicle and equipment maintenance is ongoing; Truck 44 was reportedly undergoing maintenance, with Engine 44 back in service after a ruptured coolant line at the end of November. Some smaller pieces of equipment are out for service repairs.
Deputy Chief Michael Heusing reported the district had completed nearly 500 hours of training in November, bringing the total to more than 9,703 training hours for the year.
District Accountant James Howard reviewed finances with a presentation and commented the district was “still looking good,” with regard to overall revenues and expenditures. Howard noted the investment ratios were also in solid positions, though with the Fed cutting rates, returns will be lower.
The board passed the budget, tax levy, and abatement of tax levied on the general obligation bonds. All of these items were reviewed in detail at the last meeting. Additionally, the board approved the IPRF workman’s compensation insurance renewal.
The district has not had any workers’ comp claims during the past three years and, as a result, its multiplier has dropped.
Grants from Earthrise and FM Global are pending, though two FEMA grants that were applied for were not awarded. The district is working on a grant application for IL OSFM Small Tools.
The district received another donation of a pallet of water from Wesco, which will be stocked in apparatus coolers and at the training tower.
On November 7, the district requested the donation of a mobile roof ventilation training prop from Lennar Homes. Because the district doesn’t collect an impact fee from developers, the fire district relies on its budget, grants, and donations to fund valuable training equipment. The district currently is awaiting a decision.
Attorney John Motylinski advised the board on legislative updates regarding FOIA and OMA requirements. No meetings can be held on election day and, as of January 1, all FOIA requests sent by email must be in the body of the email and not in an attachment. This measure is intended to prevent hackers from infiltrating government IT systems.
The district is continuing its pre-incident plans for larger buildings in the district. Falaschetti reported the district discovered an access issue with an alarm annunciator at Beecher Elementary, which requires a numerical code no one had; they requested the maintenance director work with their alarm contractor to convert to a keypad access instead.
Lt. Carm Welsh is continuing work on the Learn Not to Burn program at Beecher Elementary, and the district is awaiting available dates from the Village Administrator and Public Works Superintendent to provide CPR training to village hall and public works staffs, Falaschetti’s report indicated.
Falaschetti also reported the district will no longer be transporting to Munster Community Hospital because of ongoing issues; Munster removed itself from being a Region 7 Associate Hospital in early 2024 and no longer replaces EMS supplies, linens, or medications. Two closer hospitals can be utilized instead.
Coming up on December 6, the district will be hosting four area Project Fire Buddies families for a Christmas Party at the fire station.
Stephanie Irvine is a freelance reporter.