Excerpts from the daily-journal.com:
The mayor recently announced that Bradley is planning to make changes to strengthen the fire department following the departure of its interim fire chief. However, the mayor did not clarify who will be in charge or how the department will interact with the neighboring Bourbonnais Fire Protection District. One possibility being discussed is appointing Bourbonnais Fire Protection District Chief Ed St. Louis as the temporary leader of the Bradley department.
Six months ago, the village hired Jim Eggert as an interim fire chief for a six-month term, with the option to extend it by another six months if they hadn’t found a permanent replacement. The total cost over that period was $66,000. Eggert left on Friday, but no new chief has been appointed yet. The mayor explained that the decision not to renew his contract was based on financial concerns.
Throughout Tuesday, it remained unclear who was leading the Bradley Fire Department. At least one firefighter believed that Chief Ed St. Louis had already taken control. However, Capt. Kevin Goudreau, the union president, and Capt. Greg Glidewell, the department’s highest-ranking members, stated they were still in charge until further notice. That evening, department staff were set to meet with St. Louis and local officials. Goudreau suggested that St. Louis might be named the temporary chief, possibly as part of a broader plan to consolidate operations between the two departments.
The union isn't against consolidation, but they feel caught off guard by the recent developments. Any merger would require approval from the village board. Currently, the department has six full-time employees and handles around 3,000 calls annually—nearly doubling since becoming a full-time department 15 years ago. For months, the union has been negotiating for a new contract after the previous one expired in April.
According to recommendations from the Illinois Firefighters Association, which reviewed the department in 2005, there were several key suggestions: increasing staffing levels, adding a second fire station, improving coordination with other fire departments, and upgrading software to better track performance metrics.
Local fire departments often assist each other with emergency calls. Bradley relies heavily on this support due to its small team. The village values Bourbonnais as a partner, but Bourbonnais is pushing for an agreement where it would handle all calls north of Armour Road—an area with more privately insured customers and higher reimbursement rates.
"We don’t want to give up those calls because we’d lose revenue," Goudreau said. "It would be better if Bourbonnais supported us regardless of the neighborhood." This tension highlights the ongoing challenge of balancing financial interests with public safety needs.
Thanks Dennis
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