Board president Nels Carlson resigned last month since he no longer lives in the fire protection district. Trustees Valorie Armstrong, Keith Crady, and Anthony Wade voted fellow trustee James Thompson to serve as president.
After last month’s meeting, they also welcomed anyone residing in the Prophetstown, Lyndon, or Hooppole district boundaries to apply for the vacant seat, with three from the community expressing interest: Joe Pratt, Bruce Franks, and Billy Lane.
At Monday night’s meeting, each stated where they live, what they do, and why they wish to serve on the board. Trustees asked each if they plan to continue residing in the district, with all responding yes.
After a 20-minute closed session, the board reconvened and thanked those who put their names forward to help their community. There was support for all three but after a “close vote,” the board appointed Franks to take office at next month’s meeting.
The appointed term is for 15 months, and Franks would have to run for the seat in the April 2025 Consolidated Election. After 30 years of service, he’ll be retiring as Prophetstown Police Chief at the end of February. His wife Jane recently accepted the role as secretary for the PFPD.
The board also had a 15-minute closed session with Whiteside County Sheriff John Booker. After reconvening, Thompson announced an “impending investigation into personnel, with a follow up and conclusion at a later date.”
Fire Department
The board approved meeting minutes and bills in the amount of $10,109.69. Fire Chief Gerald Armstrong reported 13 calls in December and 208 calls for the year, which was “down a bit” compared to previous years. He had four department members helping with fire reporting duties last month. There will be a MABAS meeting at the station on Jan. 18, and the district supper on Feb. 17.
Lyndon Asst. Chief Arian Landheer reported that monthly training at Winning Wheels was postponed until January, so firefighters were able to take care of some tasks at the station. Training at a rural property was held last weekend with firefighters from PFPD, Morrison, Erie, and Fulton.
In action items, the board agreed to accept the proposed changes to the by-laws effective immediately, then send the updated document to the attorney to go through and ensure all is good. They agreed to purchase a plaque for Bill Jacobs, Jr. who will be retiring after 35 years of service to the department.
Asst. Chiefs have been working on end-of-year reports. Firefighter Micheal Thompson said the new Vector Solutions training system is up and going following data entry and individual members signing up. He encouraged other department leaders to work on input and training. Members can complete online training courses now that the system is up and running. Thompson was thanked for helping with data entry and getting the system in place.
After concerns that Hooppole is having issue retrieving district equipment from past firefighters and EMRs, the board asked for a list to see what’s missing, with more discussions planned for the next meeting. The fire department meeting adjourned at 7:36 p.m.
Ambulance Department
The EMR squad 2 vehicle status remains in jeopardy in Hooppole, with Jan. 15 set as the reporting deadline to the state. In order to remain licensed, the department needs trained and certified personnel to staff it for EMS calls.
The department is hoping to get at least five volunteers willing to go through the process – if they can’t get enough help, they can’t renew the EMR license and will likely not be able to get it back again, like what happened with the ambulance 20 years ago.
“If there’s no one there to do it, we’re going to end up losing it,” said trustee Armstrong, noting that residents who call for emergency help will longer wait times. Any resident who wishes to help should contact Ambulance Services Director Julie Pope or Hooppole Mayor Sheldon Miller as soon as possible.
The board approved past meeting minutes and bills in the amount of $7,234.61. There were 49 calls in December. Ten participants signed up for the EMR class starting on Jan. 16 at Prophetstown Fire Station, with four of them from Prophetstown. Effective Jan. 1, EMR basics have a starting wage of $14 per hour and EMTs are at $20 per hour.
With winter storms approaching, the department staffed two trucks Monday through Wednesday to help with extra coverage during the snow event. They will also tone out to the fire dept. to help if need be. They checked in with local care facilities regarding calls during winter storms.
In new business, a new payroll/time clock program is “pretty much a go” other than filling out a few forms and getting the total costs. The new standardized system will be a lot easier for everybody to clock in or out, switch shifts, get alerts, and easier to document payroll time.
The next meeting of the PFPD Board of Trustees will be on Monday, February 12 at 6:30 p.m. at the Prophetstown Fire Station.
