Q: What does it mean to be an ALL Volunteer Fire Department?

A: It means that the 117 members of the Tinley Park Volunteer Fire Department hold full time jobs in addition to being a Volunteer. There are strict State guidelines for firefighting training and certification that must be met. It also means that, aside from Station One and Three being staffed 24-hours a day, the other stations are not normally staffed. When an alarm is received a firefighter responds to his assigned station (closest to his home). They must always be ready to respond to alarms, including holidays, weekends and during the night. Average number of firefighters responding to a call is 40.

Q: How are we sure that there will be enough volunteers responding to alarms on weekends and holidays?

A: The department has a standby program for weekends and holidays. During every weekend and holiday throughout the year, there are 25 firefighters that must stay in town to answer alarms. If they cannot meet this, they must get another firefighter of equal or higher rank to fill in for them.

Q: Is it more difficult for volunteers to respond to alarms during severe cold, or heavy snow?

A: Yes, that is why the department has a sleep-in program that occurs during severe cold weather, heavy snow, or severe storms. Each fire station is equipped with sleeping quarters so stations can be staffed all night. The stations are also staffed during events which bring a lot of visitors to town, such as Oktoberfest, World Music Theatre Concerts, Fourth of July, etc.

Q: How does a firefighter know when there is an alarm?

A: Each firefighter carries a pager at all times.

Q: What if the paging system fails?

A: The 911 Dispatch Center pages out the firefighters when an alarm is received. At the same time, the firefighters' home telephones also ring to notify the firefighters of the alarm. This is the backup system. Each of the 4 fire stations has a backup paging system that is tested every week. In addition, neighboring towns are also capable of paging out our department if necessary.

Q: Can Tinley Park Volunteer Fire Department still continue even as the town grows? (note: Current Population approx. 50,000)

A: Yes, there are many volunteer fire departments in the United States that are effective in their towns, many even larger than Tinley Park. Here are a few:
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Town/State	Population	No.of Volunteers
Christiana Fire Co.-- Bear, DE	90,000	175
Bay County FD -- Panama City, FL	58,925	200
McHenry Twp. Fire Prot. Dist.-- McHenry, IL	45,000	138
Ponderosa VFD -- Houston, TX	50,000	72
Kentland VFD -- Landover, MD	75,000	154
Ocean City Vol. Fire Co.-- Ocean City, MD	250,000	125
Dover Twp. FD -- Toms River, NJ	89,000	254
Hanover County FD -- Hanover, VA	81,300	533
data collected 2002

Cities much larger than Tinley Park operate safe and efficient Volunteer Fire Departments. In addition, Tinley Park has one of the highest rated Fire Prevention Offices in the State. Its enforcement of strict building codes, frequent inspections, and its public education department, which promotes fire safety and takes the fire safety trailer to every school yearly, helps to minimize the amount of serious fires and injuries in our town.

Learn more about volunteer fire departments in urban areas!

Troy Michigan, http://www.ci.troy.mi.us/fire/FAQs.asp
Bloomington, Minnesota, http://www.ci.bloomington.mn.us./cityhall/dept/fire/fire.htm
Prince George's County, Maryland (Metropolitan Washington DC), http://www.pgcvfra.org/overview.php
Ponderosa Volunteer Fire Department, Houston, TX http://www.ponderosavfd.org/

When You Call 911:

1. Know Your Address -- A wrong address given will cause delays.

2. Be Calm - Talk Slowly, Don't Shout

3. Give As Much Information As Possible: Type of emergency; Injuries; Location of occupants.

4. Call From A Safe Location - Leave your house if there is a fire, call from your neighbors. Stay on the phone with the 911 operator if possible.