No Longer Split: Clarendon Hills Unites On Fire Truck

CLARENDON HILLS, IL — For months, Clarendon Hills officials delayed a decision on a new ladder truck for the fire department.

That was in spite of the fire department's recommendation to get one. Many residents backed the department; some posted yard signs for a new truck.

But officials said they wanted to consider sharing a truck with another town because the truck's cost skyrocketed to $1.4 million.

At Monday's Village Board meeting, everyone agreed the village should buy a ladder truck and a regular pumper truck. For a combined cost of more than $2 million, both would be replacements.

"There is no option for anything but that," Trustee Matt DeDobbelaere said.

The fire department said the village would have to place an order by May 1 to avoid an expected 7 percent cost hike.

In the last few weeks, village officials approached their counterparts in Hinsdale and Westmont about sharing a truck. Both seemed agreeable, officials said.

But Fire Chief Brian Leahy said there was an issue with relying on either neighbor's ladder truck.

"Our problem is that we have a lot of multifamily complexes with narrow streets, tight corners," the chief said. "We can't get a Hinsdale ladder truck back there. We can't get a Westmont ladder truck back there. The only way to get ladder trucks back there is to have an all-wheel steering-type system."

Trustee Greg Jordan said he feared the village would only consider one brand of ladder truck — Pierce.

"This is an enormous capital expenditure," he said.

The village, Jordan said, should consider several alternatives, so it could avoid buying one at a Cadillac-type price.

Leahy said the Pierce brand would be considered the Chevy.

"It's not the Cadillac. It's not the cheapest vehicle. It's right there in the middle," the chief said.

Village Manager Kevin Barr, who was seen as an obstacle to a new ladder truck, recommended its purchase.

The trustees agreed.

Because of supply chain issues, delivery of the fire trucks is expected to take a couple of years.