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The *Daily Herald* has another report on the recent separation between the Barrington Fire Department and the Barrington Countryside Fire Protection District. The split, which officially took place on New Year’s Day, was not without its complications — especially when it came to the transfer of equipment.
Despite the 48-square-mile fire district receiving 19 firefighters who were laid off from the village department at midnight, those personnel weren’t allowed to take their custom-fitted safety gear with them. This created an immediate problem, as the new fire district had to scramble to borrow gear from the Fox River Grove Fire Protection District just days before the official handover. They’ve since begun looking into long-term leasing options for additional equipment in the coming months.
According to Barrington Village Manager Jeff Lawler, the issue stemmed from the fact that the firefighters were hired through a private contractor, Paramedic Services of Illinois, rather than directly by the fire district. “It’s taxpayer-owned equipment, and we can’t just hand it over without following proper legal procedures,†he explained. He mentioned that this matter had been discussed with fire district officials back in early December, and he was puzzled as to how it wasn’t resolved sooner.
Barrington Countryside board President Tom Rowan, however, said that the conversation Lawler referred to was one that only the village seemed to remember. He emphasized that during their long-standing partnership, the two entities co-owned all shared equipment, and it was intended to be divided evenly — just like the vehicles. But now, with the split, the situation has become more complicated.
Barrington Countryside Fire Chief Jeff Swanson acknowledged the legal hurdles but stressed that public safety should always come first. “Rules are important, but they shouldn’t stand in the way of keeping people safe,†he said. While the equipment issue could have been sorted out over time, the firefighters needed to be operational right away, he added.
Currently, the Barrington Countryside Fire Protection District employs 34 firefighters through Paramedic Services of Illinois. Of those, 19 were affected by the gear dispute. Swanson noted that the specially fitted gear for these employees is expected to arrive in the spring, and in the meantime, they’ll be using leased equipment.
Despite the initial challenges, both departments have reported that they’ve maintained full operational capabilities since the split. The Barrington Fire Department now serves only the village’s five square miles, while the Barrington Countryside FPD continues to cover a much larger area, including parts of Barrington Hills, Lake Barrington, South Barrington, Inverness, and unincorporated sections of Cook, Lake, and McHenry counties.
Rowan also mentioned that morale among the new fire district staff is high. Just hours after receiving their equipment from the village, the team reportedly cleaned everything from scratch — a sign of pride and commitment.
As for the apparatus split, here's what we know so far:
- **Barrington Fire Department** has:
- One engine
- One quint
- One battalion buggy
- Two ambulances
- **Barrington Countryside FPD** has:
- Two engines
- One squad
- One tanker (plus a newly acquired second one)
- Two ambulances
At this point, the ownership of the brush unit remains unclear.