Hinsdale's 'Absurd' Way Of Buying Fire Trucks: Official

HINSDALE, IL – Hinsdale trustees voted last week to buy a new pumper fire truck for $840,000, but an official questioned the village's go-it-alone approach.

The cost would have been $550,000 two years ago, which is when the fire department first proposed replacing one of its two pumper trucks, according to a village memo.

Before the vote, Village President Tom Cauley called for the fire department to share costs with departments in Clarendon Hills, Western Springs and Oak Brook.

Combined, he said, the four towns have seven pumper trucks.

"There must be some way we can share equipment. I'm just frustrated that we don't do more of this," Cauley said. "I don't have any problems with spending this, but it's just absurd that each village buys its own equipment for itself."

He said the pumper trucks themselves are used only a few times a year for structure fires.

"We don't live on an island," Cauley said. "I think we should take advantage of the fact that we have surrounding communities that have lots of equipment."

Fire Chief John Giannelli said the village had three pumper trucks until several years ago, with costs driving the decision to not replace one of them.

He said pumper trucks were also needed to respond to hazardous material incidents and extrications, where people are trapped after crashes.

The village's vehicle policy advises replacing fire trucks after 16 years. Now, the village's pumpers are 23 and 9 years old. Because of supply chain issues, a new pumper wouldn't be built for at least two years.

Only Trustee Neale Byrnes voted against buying the $840,000 pumper truck.

"I feel strongly that we should continue to study what we can do," he said. "I can't believe that four small municipalities that have a total population of less than $50,000 have all these fire trucks. That's just bizarre."

"Good for you," Cauley said.

In 2021, Cauley waded into a debate in Clarendon Hills about whether that village should replace its ladder truck, which was expected to cost more than $1 million.

Cauley said he wondered whether Clarendon Hills needed such a truck when Hinsdale had one.

Clarendon Hills officials were considering not replacing the ladder truck. But after a local outcry, they decided to buy one.