Here is a video explanation of many of the most frequently asked questions
about firefighting. Please Watch.

How many Firefighters are there in Sycamore?

The Sycamore Fire Department consists of:  

The Sycamore Fire Department must have at least 6 people working at all times. There are at least 3 personnel
at station #1, and there are 3 personnel at station #2.

What do the Firefighters do all day?

Firefighting actually represents a relatively small portion of the work of a typical fire department in today's world.
Due to the increase in public awareness, the department's fire prevention programs, and fire detection systems,
structure fires do not occur that often. Structure fires account for a small percentage of calls at the Sycamore Fire
Department. As the percentage of fire responses is less, firefighters respond to EMS calls between 70-80% of
the time. Additionally, we respond to; Carbon Monoxide calls, Automated Fire Alarms, Occupancy checks,
Odor investigations, Grass fires, and Car fires. Besides responding to emergencies within Sycamore, Sycamore
Fire supports surrounding towns, such as; Cortland, DeKalb, Genoa/Kingston, Malta, Maple Park, and
Burlington. Along with running calls, Firefighters also have a great responsibility in the Station. Please CLICK HERE
for a full week's schedule of the Firefighter's day in Sycamore.

How many days do Firefighters work? How long do they work for?

Sycamore Firefighters work 24-hour shifts every 3rd day. Without overtime, this totals to be around an average of
49.77 hours a week. There are a few different reasons why Firefighters work 24 hours, and are off 48 hours:

• It is better for the economy - 8 hour shifts would require 3 times the amount of personnel
• It is researched to be better for the health of the firefighters working

The Sycamore Fire Department consists of 4 different shifts; Red Shift, Gold Shift, Black Shift, and Swing Shift.
Each shift consists of 8 firefighters with the exception of Swing Shift. Swing Shift consists of 1 Lieutenant
and 1 Firefighter. The Swing Shift has been created to fill the vacancies of the other 3 shifts (Vacancies due to illness,
injury, vacation, schools-continuing education, or Kelly days). The Swing Shift is simply created for cost-saving measures
for the City of Sycamore.

What is a Kelly Day?

The Fire Department is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Sycamore Fire Department runs three "platoon shifts"
and one swing shift. Each "platoon shift" has eight people on it and they work rotation days of twenty-four hours
on and forty-eight hours off. Sycamore firefighters work 2588 hours* (without overtime) per year, which is 49.77
hours a week. Every ninth rotation day, platoon shift personnel are afforded a "Kelly Day." A Kelly day is a day off given
to a municipal firefighter to reduce their hours worked in a pay period, which would otherwise lead to excess amounts of
money spent on overtime.

It's called a "Kelly" day because it was devised in 1936 by Chicago Mayor, Edward J. Kelly for the Chicago Fire
Department. Chicago firefighters were so fond of Mayor Kelly, they named him an "Honorary Fire Chief" in July 1934. 


* A Standard 40 hour week will result in a total of 2080 hours in one year.

What is KEC?
The Kishwaukee Education Consortium (KEC) is an association of area high schools whose activities are closely
articulated with Kishwaukee College. The KEC provides for basic education and vocational-technical training for
employment. Currently, the KEC is made up of the following five core high schools: DeKalb, Genoa-Kingston, Hiawatha,
Rochelle, and Sycamore. The Sycamore Fire Department holds a 1 hour, 15 minute class every day high school students
have school. No outside teachers come in and teach the class. The KEC class is stricktly taught by the firefighters
from the Sycamore Fire Department. This class helps high school students prepare and start a career path that want
to persue their dream in becoming a firefighter. Curriculum is based on the standards set forth by the State of Illinois 
Fire Marshall's Office, the Illinois Department of Public Health, and the Department of Transportation. Curriculum for these
students include American Heart Association CPR, EMS/First Responder, and introduction to Fire Protection. (All costs
incurred by the Sycamore Fire Department are reimbursed by KEC)

To get more information about KEC, please CLICK HERE.

Why does an ambulance AND a fire engine go to an accident?

An ambulance responds to an accident in the case of personal injury to the drivers/passengers.
In the case of multiple injuries, other ambulances from surrounding departments will be notified.
The fire engine responds to the accident for many different reasons. One reason is for personnel
protection. The engine is used as a big road block/barrier from oncoming traffic. The fire engine
is also in charge of extricating (removing) the patient out of the vehicle. The engine is also in charge
of scene lighting (at night). There are also many different hazards on the scene of a motor vehicle
accident, such as fluid leaks, broken glass, and sharp metal. Both apparatus are there to protect the
responding personnel, as well as the patients on the scene.

               
          - How does Sycamore respond to accidents?

Depending on the location of the accident, one station will respond with an ambulance, and one station
will respond with an engine. The location of the accident determines which station responds with what
apparatus. For example: If the accident is south of Route 64/Kishwaukee River, the ambulance will
respond from station #1, and the engine will respond from station #2. If the accident is north of
Route 64/Kishwaukee River, the ambulance will respond from station #2, and the engine will respond
from station #1. *If additional resources are needed, they will respond from, a) Sycamore- if manning
has been established b) Other towns.

               
         - I was in an accident in Sycamore, nobody was hurt, but 
         a DeKalb ambulance showed up. Why is that?

Depending on the location of the accident, Sycamore has another mutual agreement with some
neighboring departments. This is called Automatic Aid. In the event of an incident near the
borders of neighboring towns, other emergency crews will respond automatically, just in case
additional help is needed.

How many people usually show up on an ambulance?

Sycamore provides a 3 man ambulance crew. Management and the union have both agreed that
this is the best staffing for our citizens and the most economical method considering our overall
manning. The 3 responders allow multiple interventions to be performed on patients and allow for
an overall lower injury rate to our employees. Per ITLS (International Trauma Life Support)
TRAUMAassessment Simulation Video, a "3-person team is the smallest team size that can
adequately care for a critical trauma patient." Larger cities may provide 2 man ambulance responses,
however, they are 'chased' by an engine crew who then assists in patient care. Our department simply
does not have a large enough roster to make that an option. This option also adds wear & tear on the
'chase' vehicles.

What if I am driving down the road and I need emergency care?
Can I come into the fire station?

You most certainly can come into the fire station in the event of an emergency. We will provide
you with professional care, and transport you to the most appropriate facility (if needed).

How many calls does Sycamore Fire get every day?

Although we may not be able to provide that information (due to the inability to predict the
amount of calls), we can say that there has been a steady increase of calls over the past 6
years. Please CLICK HERE for a spreadsheet of calls for the past 8 years. These calls include
more: EMS, Fire, Motor-Vehicle Accidents, Back-to-Back calls. Last year, the citizens of Sycamore
initiated 911 on average, over 5 times a day for fire department emergency services. (Actual- 5.06)
Last year, Sycamore Fire ran an average of 5.721 joint Fire/EMS responses per day and 6.12 
apparatus responses per day (January 1, 2008 - December 31, 2008). The reason for the higher
number of responses is some incidents required multiple units to respond. For example: Ambulance
& Engine for an automobile accident. To see the guidlines Sycamore Fire use for emergency responses,
please CLICK HERE.

If an emergency vehicle is approaching with lights and sirens,
what should I do?

All emergency personnel have been trained for driving emergency vehicles. The most important
thing to do is pull to the right, and stop. This will ensure the safety of the emergency crew, the
patient we may be transporting and the public who is driving.

Are carbon monoxide detectors really needed?

Absolutely! Carbon monoxide is a silent, deadly killer. Potential carbon monoxide sources in
the home are clogged or blocked chimneys, portable heaters, gas or wood burning fireplaces,
a leaking chimney pipe or flue, gas clothes dryers, and vehicle exhaust. These detectors are
well worth the investment. If your detector chirps or beeps, call 911 immediately.

Where does Sycamore Fire house its ladder truck?
 
Currently the Sycamore Fire Department does not own a ladder truck. We depend on our neighboring
departments such as DeKalb and Hampshire to aide our efforts when aerial devices are needed. Unfortunately,
there is a large time delay getting these apparatus' into Sycamore during a fire (The approximate time for a
ladder truck from DeKalb - 12 minutes. The approximate time for a ladder truck from Hampshire - 19 minutes.
Courtesy of Mapquest). The city has budgeted to procure this asset in fiscal year 2010 (Starting May 1, 2009).

Why did you cut a hole in my roof? The fire was in the kitchen, not the attic.

When you come to my house for a Carbon Monoxide alram, why do you crank up the
heat, and turn the water on?

Carbon Monoxide is the product of unburned combustibles. Sources of this product may be: Water heater, furnace,
gas oven/stove, gas dryer, etc. The reason we turn up the thermostat, turn the hot water on, possibly start your dryer,
and your gas oven/stove, is to accurately check whether or not that source is creating carbon monoxide. 

Does Sycamore Firefighters L3046 want to increase in taxes (Specifically, Sales Taxes)?

Absolutely Not - It is the opinion of Sycamore Firefighters L3046 no new taxes or tax increases be initiated in order
to balance the budget.