*** FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE ***

 June 25, 2025

The District has been awarded a Class 1 rating by the Insurance Services Office (ISO) for fire protection and has attained Accreditation status from the Center for Public Safety Excellence—an achievement earned through the continuous operation of five ambulances, six fire engines, and one utility vehicle, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. This distinction places the Orland Fire Protection District among the top three percent of fire departments nationwide. It is a privilege and an honor to serve on the Board of such a highly regarded and recognized District.

On June 5th, the Orland Professional Firefighters Union issued a “community alert” to notify Orland residents of the Board’s decision to stop staffing Ambulance 1 for 12-hour shifts. Ambulance 1 had only been in operating on 12-hour shifts since mid-October of 2024 and the 12-hour shift operation was not meant to be permanent – it was put in operation as trial for those specific hours, not full time, to evaluate if its’ operation was essential for the District to maintain the high standard of services to its residents. An initial review of the data showed that the operation of Ambulance 1 is not needed to maintain the excellent services provided by the District.

It is important to note that, when all scheduled personnel report for duty, each ambulance and apparatus is fully staffed and operational. As an alternative staffing measure, the District proposed that firefighters consider temporarily reassigning from the utility vehicle to Ambulance 1 in specific emergency situations; however, this proposal was declined. The Board will continue to monitor operational data related to Ambulance 1 and will make necessary adjustments in response to ongoing assessments and the evolving needs of the District.

Recently, the Union has informed residents that the board is seeking to cut ambulance services – this is not accurate. The Union continues to post on social media about the operation of Ambulance 1 – including a since removed Facebook post that insinuated that emergency call responses were “delayed” on June 6, 2025 due to Ambulance 1 not being in operation.

The status of Ambulance 1 changed again on June 9, 2025. On June 9 the District received a time sensitive directive from the Illinois Department of Public Health: it must either operate Ambulance 1 24/7 or it must be put in reserve status. This directive was due, in part, to Facebook posts made by the Union that were brought to the attention of the IDPH. Given the short time frame in which the IDPH gave the District to decide, after consultation, a system modification was processed for Ambulance 1 and it was taken out of operation entirely and is now a reserve ambulance.

The District is in the process of submitting a waiver to the IDPH that would allow the District to return to operating Ambulance 1 as it had prior to October 2024. Until then, Ambulance 1 will remain a reserve ambulance.

As always, the District maintains continuous operation of five ambulances, six fire trucks or engines, and one utility vehicle, 24 hours a day. The District obtained and renewed its ISO-1 certification under this model. Each of these vehicles are equipped with Advanced Life Saving equipment. No region of the District is without the emergency response or ambulance services that it has always received.

The Board of Trustees remains steadfast in its commitment to the safety and security of our residents and will continue to monitor and evaluate the status of Ambulance 1, mutual aid deployment procedures, staffing levels, and Union agreements.