Bloomington Township Fire Department

Article by Tom Willan, BTFPD Fire Chief (edited by Pat Epsicokhan)

Bloomington Township Fire Protection District is a unit consisting of 28 volunteer firefighter/EMTs who attend college, work at full time jobs or are small business owners. These volunteers train four nights per month and respond to fire and EMS calls to a population of 2,857 citizens covering 23 square miles in which the Crestwicke neighborhoods are located. These 28 professionally dedicated volunteers receive no compensation to train or respond to emergencies at any hour of the day or night.

The department serves the area with a fleet consisting of two engines, two water tankers, one heavy rescue, two brush fire units, one command vehicle, and two Basic Life Support ambulances that can be upgraded to Paramedic Ambulances.

Our front-line ambulance is staffed 24 hours per day, seven days per week, 365 days per year with two EMT-basics. We have six paramedics on our roster who, when available, can upgrade to Advanced Life Support, if needed. In the event we do not have Paramedics available, we request a Paramedic chase vehicle from Bloomington Fire Department to intercept with our ambulance. Our two staffed EMTs are compensated $11 per hour with no benefits. (Wages will increase to $15 per hour by 2024.) In addition, we have trained spotters who watch for severe weather in the response area.

BTFPD crews respond to an average of one or two calls per day. When a resident calls 911, the call is answered by McLean County Emergency Communications Center personnel, who take the information and dispatch the fire department by way of tone-over-voice pagers. If the call is a medical call, our ambulance responds with in a six-minute time frame. If the fire-related call is at night, each member must wake, dress and drive to the firehouse to pick up equipment. In the event the call is during the daytime hours, volunteers must leave class or jobs (if their employer will permit them to leave) to respond to the call. Residents of BTFPD are fortunate that we have Automatic Mutual Aid with Downs and Heyworth Departments, who receive the same call information at the same time we do. This is why you will see firefighters and apparatus from different departments.

When we respond to a structure fire, our response is two engines with 1,000 gallons of water each, two water tankers with 3,000 gallons and 2,100 gallons, heavy rescue for air support and an ambulance. In addition, there’s an Automatic Aid Engine from Downs CFPD with 1,500 gallons and a crew and water tanker with 3,000 gallons of water. We also, receive a Rapid Intervention Team from Heyworth Fire Department and an engine with 1,000 gallons. With this response, we bring 12,600 gallons of water to the scene.

Concerning fire safety in the home, I would advise a battery-backup smoke detector in every sleeping area and a smoke detector on each level; in addition, a carbon monoxide detector should be installed on each level. The batteries in these units should be changed semi-annually and the units replaced every seven years. Fire extinguishers should be available in strategic locations, and a fire escape plan should be in place and practiced, including a meeting place. Once out of the structure, you should never re-enter it.

If you have further questions or would like information about becoming a Volunteer Firefighter, please feel free to contact Chief Willan at 309-828-4641 (Fire Station) or 309-660-5360 (cell); or send an email to wtkwillan@msn.com.