Money Problems for Glen Ellyn Volunteer Fire Company

Glen Ellyn’s unique partially volunteer fire company is running into financial trouble, its fire chief recently told the Village board, with the company estimating it needs an additional $380,000 per year to prepare for several upcoming expenses, the Chicago Tribune reports. 

According to the paper, the company’s needs include replacing two pumper trucks (about a million dollars for the pair) and replacing a ladder truck in two years ($1.2 million), while currently the cost of running the company exceeds revenue; meanwhile, the number of service calls have more than doubled in the last eight years. 

"Our fleet is aging. The fire company will endure but we'll use unreliable equipment and eventually, it'll age and we'll have break downs," the paper quoted Fire Chief Jim Bodony saying. "You can't expect a craftsman to work if he doesn't have his tools and the tools of the fire service are our vehicles and our equipment." 

Village staff are working on recommendations for new funding sources while the company has just kicked off its annual fundraising drive, the paper said. 

Read the full story at the Chicago Tribune website.