Fire Department History
The Lyons Fire Department operates from one fire station centrally located at 4043 Joliet Avenue in the Village of Lyons.
We are organized as a combination department that has a small full-time staff and by employing P.O.C. (Paid-On-Call) Firefighter/EMT’s. Our department has a full-time Fire Chief that works 8 hour days, 5 days a week. We also employ a permanent part time clerical position that works 20 hours a week, that is also a Firefighter / Paramedic.
Our department provides ALS (Advanced Life Support) Emergency Medical Service 24 hours a day – 7 days a week. Each day there are two Firefighter/Paramedics on duty in the station, ready to respond.
Our department also provides Fire Suppression and Rescue Services with our P.O.C. Firefighter/EMT’s. In addition to our P.O.C. personnel being on call 24 hours a day, we also have a coverage program that provides two Firefighter/EMT’s in our station from 9:00 PM until 6:00 AM, 5 days a week, during week day times. In addition to this program, we also have a weekend coverage program that provides two (2) Firefighter/EMT’s in our station from 6:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. and them from 6:00 p.m. until 6:00 a.m.
With the week day coverage program, we have four (4) Firefighter / Paramedics or EMT’s in our station each day with the exception of six (6) hours a day, when our manpower drops to two (2) Firefighter/Paramedics. The weekends are covered with four (4) Firefighter/ Paramedics or EMT’s, 24 hours a day.
Our department operates one Rescue Engine, two Engines, one ALS Ambulance, one Spare Ambulance, and one Support/Command Vehicle.
Mutual Aid
Our department enjoys an automatic response agreement with the Village of Riverside. The agreement allows for the Village of Riverside to respond to all structural type fires in our Village with a ladder truck and allows for the Village of Lyons to respond to their Village with an engine on any structural type fire response. This automatic response agreement provides a quick response of additional resources to both villages and is essential to our firefighting operations.
Our department is also part of MABAS (Mutual Aid Box Alarm System). This system provides for a systematic and organized response of mutual aid to our Village. Currently, MABAS is three (3) states large and is growing.
Historical
Below is a link to a recently found historical document. This report from The Chicago Board of Underwriters highlights the Lyons Fire Department on February 25, 1925.
Chicago Board of Underwriters Report – February 25, 1925
