Oak Forest Partners With Orland Fire District For Fleet Repairs

OAK FOREST, IL — Oak Forest officials have signed an intergovernmental agreement with Orland Fire Protection District to have the south suburb's fleet repaired at OFPD's new maintenance facility, Fire Chief Gary Kasper said at a city council meeting.

According to Kasper, the department first submitted a request for proposals to source local companies who would be able to repair the "aging fleet" within the department's budget.

While two companies responded to the proposal, neither was cost effective enough for the department, Oak Forest Fire Department command staff said.

Throughout the process, Kasper said he met with OFPD officials and finally decided the cost of utilizing the district's maintenance workers and center would be best for the budget and equipment.

"The costs [for services] vary but they are cheaper than what might otherwise have been charged to Oak Forest to have it done outside," Ray Hanania, a spokesman for the district, wrote in an email to Patch. "Being a Fire District, we have a better sense of how to maximize the effectiveness in repairs."

According to OFPD fire officials, Oak Forest vehicles will only be brought to the new facility for preventative maintenance and occasional repairs. The agreement does not mean either department will share or exchange equipment.