Lemont Fire District Approves Bond Referendum For November Ballot

LEMONT, IL — The Lemont Fire Protection District Board of Trustees has approved a resolution to place a bond referendum, focused on improving emergency response, on the Nov. 5 ballot, according to a release from the district.

Funding from the bond referendum would enable improvement in response times across the District by relocating fire stations #1 (15900 New Ave., in Lemont) and #3 (10801 S. Marmon Drive, in Woodridge), renovating fire stations #2 and #4, and upgrading essential emergency equipment and supplies, the District said.

It will also provide funding for ongoing training initiatives and proper firefighting gear storage to reduce firefighter/paramedic exposure to carcinogens.

The District said that the increase in Lemont's population over the past two years, and the shift in development to the southwest side of town, has increased demand for emergency services throughout the community and in newly developed areas of the District.

Currently, responding to a medical emergency can take more than eight minutes, which is longer than national standards and neighboring fire protection districts.

"To put this into perspective, if someone is experiencing a heart attack, brain death can occur in around six minutes, and a fire can fully engulf a home in the same amount of time," the District said in a release.

The District added that its aging fire stations also lack sufficient space to house the nationally recommended number of firefighters and are inadequate for accommodating today’s emergency vehicles and equipment.

"We respond to more than 4,000 emergency calls annually, and the number continues to rise. This proposal will help us arrive on the scene of emergencies faster, and protect the level of emergency services our community deserves,” Lemont Fire Protection District Chief Dan Tasso said in a release.

If approved by voters, the proposal would result in an additional investment of approximately $15.40 a month for the owner of a $400,000 home in Cook County and $17.45 in DuPage and Will counties.