Crime & Safety

College of DuPage Seeks Lisle-Woodridge Fire District Protection

How will this move impact the villages of Lisle and Glen Ellyn?

officials are trying to work out a deal to use 's services. If the two can agree on a contract, the Lisle-Woodridge Fire District would be responsible for responding to calls at the campus -- not Glen Ellyn's Volunteer Fire Department. 

Glen Ellyn village officials said giving up the campus would have little financial impact, if any, on the fire department and village.

Since the community college sits within Glen Ellyn's boundaries and is tax-exempt it does not pay for Glen Ellyn's fire protection services. That could change if the school's request to contract with Lisle-Woodridge Fire District is approved by the DuPage County Board. Working with Lisle-Woodridge Fire District means the college is subject to contracting fees, however, Joe Moore, associate vice president of marketing and external relations, said, "we are currently in discussions right now and do not know if there would be fees associated with working with the Lisle Fire."

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Lisle-Woodridge Fire District officials confirmed that no fee structures have been set at this time.

When asked why the college was seeking to change fire districts, Moore said, "the Lisle fire department has an excellent reputation and we believe it would be a very good fit for this institution."

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These talks come after a lengthy dispute where village of Glen Ellyn and College of DuPage officials fought for who had control over the campus. After nearly a year-long dispute, the two bodies recently passed an intergovernmental agreement outlining jurisdiction. According to the agreement, DuPage County would deal with all matters concerning permitting, construction and inspections -- an area that has caused much tension between the two -- while the college would still pay for certain services provided by the village of Glen Ellyn. 

Lisle-Woodridge Fire District Bureau Chief Jim French said College of DuPage attorneys first approached the Fire District last month, to his knowledge. Records show the Fire District's board of trustees unanimously supported a continued conversation with the college at their Feb. 14 meeting.

French said the location of the college's campus is a "natural extension" of their current boundaries.

"If there was a big incident at the college, we'd be going there anyway," he said.

French said if both parties come to an agreement, there may be training or business opportunities for the Fire District, as well. However, opportunities are still dependant on affirmative votes from the Fire District, College, and County Board.

“The college itself is a great resource. It’s one of the largest community colleges, I think, in the nation, and they have a lot of resources there that we could partner with," French said.


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