After the Forest Park Fire Department had to retire its ladder truck last year, at a recent structure fire in Forest Park, a mutual aid fire truck company was delayed. So Forest Park firefighters had to rescue a resident from a third-story window with a ground ladder, set at an unsafe angle against the burning home, according to Forest Park Fire Chief Lindsey Hankus.
While that rescue was successful, it demonstrated the dangerous position the fire department is in following the retirement of its ladder truck after 22 years of service because of its structural and mechanical failure.
Village commissioners unanimously approved to waive the bidding process for a new truck at the Feb. 9 council meeting, so that Forest Park can get a production slot for the vehicle — even though it won’t be delivered until September 2027. They also approved a $1.5 million loan from the Forest Park National Bank to buy the new ladder truck, which will cost $2.5 million, according to a proposal for the purchase.
According to the approved ordinances, there are a limited number of fire trucks that will be manufactured in the next two years. In order to get one of these vehicles, the village bypassed the bidding process to OK the purchase of a 100-foot ladder truck from MacQueen Equipment and agreed upon a large loan from the area bank.
“Forest Park Bank, our local community bank, because of the village’s relationship with them, was able to turn this around very quickly for us,” Village Administrator Rachell Entler said at the meeting. “This is certainly something that they knew was important to the village, and they made this happen in a way that a larger bank might not have.”
According to the ordinance authorizing the loan, the village will borrow the $1.5 million in about 18 months, when it gets the new fire truck. From that time, the loan must be paid back within 10 years. The rate of the loan will be based on the 10-year constant maturity U.S. Treasury Rate plus 2%, then multiplied by 0.7 to arrive at a tax-free rate.
Fire department report
Ahead of the Feb. 9 council meeting, the Forest Park Fire Department sent commissioners its annual report for 2025.
Last year, the fire department experienced the highest number of calls in its history at 4,742 calls, 250 more than the prior year. In comparison, fire departments for River Forest and North Riverside — both of which have smaller populations than Forest Park — each had under 3,000 calls last year.
In 2025, only 55 of the Forest Park Fire Department’s calls were for fires and over half were for emergency medical services. There were 540 calls to respond to the CTA Blue Line terminus at 711 Des Plaines Ave.
According to the report, the fire department swore in two new members last year, but recruiting firefighters remains a challenge. The fire department’s facilities also need to be updated.
“The fire department continues to do a really great job and serve this community, but it is not without a lot of pressure on the members of the fire department, and there are a lot of challenges,” Commissioner Maria Maxham said during the Feb. 9 meeting.
Commissioner Michelle Melin-Rogovin also thanked the department for the report and Hankus for providing data to commissioners so they can advocate in Springfield on her department’s behalf.
“Our fire department is the second-busiest, single-house department in the State of Illinois,” Melin-Rogovin said, putting the number of calls in perspective. “The dedication of our personnel is noted and appreciated by me, and I look forward to continuing to advocate for the services that our fire department needs with my colleagues.”
