The Downers Grove and Westmont Fire Departments are proposing a mutual-aid pact that could lower homeowners insurance costs in both villages.
The proposal is similar to a 5-year-old program between Downers Grove and the Darien-Woodridge Fire Protection District. The joint venture between Westmont and Downers Grove would allow the two departments to automatically respond to each others’ calls within set boundaries “at almost no cost to citizens,” said Downers Grove Fire Chief Lanson Russell.
Although the Mutual Aid Box Alarm System is in effect throughout Du Page County and allows fire departments to cross municipal boundaries if assistance is needed, this agreement is more detailed, officials said.
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If approved, the pact would allow Downers Grove to provide an engine company equipped with three firefighters at all alarms in Westmont north of 55th Street, while Westmont would provide the same equipment in most of Downers Grove between 39th and 63rd Streets east of Belmont Road.
In addition to safety, the program would likely mean an improved rating for both departments with the Insurance Services Office of Illinois, an insurance group whose ratings help determine local insurance rates, officials said.
With the agreement in place, Russell said Downers Grove firefighters from Stations No. 2 and No. 3 would respond to Westmont calls about 200 times a year, with a similar number of responses to Downers Grove by Westmont firefighters. The main added cost would be an increase in fuel consumption, he said.
If officials in both towns approve the agreement, Downers Grove will contact Lombard and the Lisle-Woodridge Fire District about similar arrangements, Russell said.