Riverdale Fire Department
725 W. 138th Street
Gregory Knoll, Fire Chief
Non-emergency: 708-849-2122
The Riverdale Fire Department provides fire and emergency medical services to the village and surrounding area, which encompasses 3.5 square miles and includes over 15,000 residents. The Fire Department is composed of 11 full-time personnel and 14 paid-on-call members.
Response equipment includes three pumpers, each capable of pumping a minimum of 1,250 gallons of water per minute. These vehicles carry at least 500 gallons of water and over 2,400 feet of fire hose. They also carry related equipment used by firefighters at various emergency scenes.
In 2005 the department had 2,304 emergency responses: 1,661 requests for Emergency Medical Services, 126 fire responses, and 517 responses to other types of emergencies. In 2004, the department had 2,272 emergency responses.
Emergency Medical Services is governed by guidelines from the Illinois Department of Public Health. Fire Department personnel are trained to the Emergency Medical Technician-Basic level. The Village has an agreement with a private ambulance service to provide paramedic response and transport to hospital emergency rooms in our immediate area.
The department is a member of Mutual Aid Box Alarm System (MABAS) District 24. MABAS 24 provides district-wide response teams for Hazardous Materials, Specialized Rescue incidents. MABAS 24 also provides a Fire Investigation team to investigate the cause and origin points of fires within the district.
Another aspect of MABAS services is a box alarm system for major fires. Pre-determined response plans are in place to provide assistance to Riverdale and most other communities in the State of Illinois for major structure fires and other types of emergency response.
The department provides other services to the community. Personnel conduct point of sale inspections whenever property is sold in the Village. Personnel also check all apartment units whenever there is a tenant change.
The Remembering When, Riverdale Coalition, is sponsored by the Riverdale Fire Department Public Education Division. This program is a fire and fall prevention program for older adults. Click here for more information
The department also conducts public education in the elementary schools in the Village. Personnel go to the schools and the students come into the fire station as part of Fire Prevention Week to learn about fire safety.
Department personnel attend training sessions at the fire station. These sessions are conducted under guidelines established by the Illinois State Fire Marshal’s office. The Riverdale Fire Department has trained personnel to these standards since 1986. Certification Standards exist for many aspects of the fire service, including: firefighting, apparatus driving and operation, fire officer, hazardous materials, technical rescue, and support services.
SAFETY TIPS
The fire department suggests the following to help you be safe in your residence.
ü Since 1988, state law requires that you Install and maintain an operating smoke detector within 15’ of every room used for sleeping purposes.
ü The same law requires detectors on every story of a dwelling unit, including basements. Detectors are NOT required in unoccupied attics.
ü In rental situations, the owner is responsible to install, test and maintain detectors. The tenant is responsible to replace the batteries in the detectors within the dwelling unit.
ü We suggest you should install and maintain a carbon monoxide (CO) detector in your residence. CO is an odorless, tasteless gas that, in heavy concentrations, can make you sick, unconscious, or take your life.
ü Design a home escape plan that provides two ways out of every room in your residence. Review and practice that home escape plan. A small fire can grow to a large fire in a VERY SHORT period of time. If you residence has a fire, get out and stay out. Call 9-1-1 from a safe location.
ü Install and maintain a multi-purpose dry chemical fire extinguisher. Read the instructions and learn how to operate the extinguisher. If you have a fire problem, call 9-1-1 from a safe place. If you are comfortable trying to put the fire out with the extinguisher, follow the directions.
ü Maintain your residence. Check your heating system before each heating season. Have licensed contractors check the electrical, plumbing, and natural gas systems. Also have them check the appliances, switches, and other devices that use gas or electric to operate.
If you have any questions or need further information, please contact the fire department at 708-849-2122, or e-mail gknoll@villageofriverdale.org. The fire department will assist you in answering your concerns.
RELATED WEB SITES:
http://www.fema.gov/preparedness/prepare_guides_links.shtm#guides Federal Emergency Management Association (FEMA) - guides for: home, aviation, boating, personal disaster planning, etc.
http://www.state.il.us/iema/Prep/prep.htm Illinois Emergency Management Association (IEMA) – guides for disaster planning.
http://www.idph.state.il.us/pdf/SurvivingDisasters.pdf A 61 page Citizen Emergency Handbook for surviving many types of natural or man-made disasters.
http://www.mchc.org/ipc/ Illinois Poison Control Center with safety and first aid information.
http://www.cpsc.gov/ Consumer Product Safety Commission for information on various product recalls.
http://www.fsi.uiuc.edu/ The University of Illinois Fire Service Institute. This site provides information about many aspects of fire service training.
http://www.state.il.us/osfm/ The Office of the State Fire Marshal. This site provides information about fire service certifications, boiler and pressure vessel safety, and other programs offered through the State Fire Marshal.
http://www.usfa.fema.gov/public/index.shtm The United States Fire Administration. This site offers links and federal documents related to home and work safety.
