Support

 Unit 51

This 2003 Ford F-350 pick-up truck with a utility body was acquired at the onset of the 02/03 fiscal year’s budget. This vehicle was purchased with a number of tasks in mind, primarily the transportation of the department’s fire safety education trailer. This unit is equipped with a small water tank and pump for utilization at grass/brush fires.

 Car 72

Car 72, the department’s newest support vehicle, was purchased in 2010 to replace a 1998 Taurus sedan that served fire prevention after serving as the Fire Chief’s vehicle. The Ford Expedition was chosen to provide space to carry the necessary equipment and to provide an additional 4x4 capable vehicle for the fire station. This capability came in quite handy during the blizzard of 2011. This vehicle carries EMS and firefighting support equipment and is used to transport personnel and as a fire prevention vehicle when multiple inspectors are on duty.

 Unit 53

Unit 53 is a specialty support vehicle with a two-part combination/multi-purpose unit. Part one is a 2011 Polaris Crew Cab Ranger Utility Terrain Vehicle or UTV. This 2 to 4-wheel drive device is primarily used to support special missions within the department. Equipped with a water tank, pump, hose lines, and stokes basket, the unit can be used to assist with field fires and similar tasks from a fire perspective and can provide EMS support at community events such as Youth Day and the 4th of July.

If the situation dictates, this unit can travel down sidewalks and side streets to get to an emergency location. If this unit needs to be moved over the road for some distance, it is equipped with an aluminum trailer that can be towed behind many department vehicles. Once on site, the trailer can be attached to the UTV to provide it with expanded equipment-carrying capabilities should the situation necessitate this capability. This vehicle was purchased with special funding from the CN Railroad during their expansion within Park Forest with funding dedicated to this type of purpose.