New Lenox Fire Protection District Meeting | September 2025

The New Lenox Fire Protection District Board of Trustees on September 22, 2025, approved a significant change in hiring practices to address a regional paramedic shortage and celebrated a battalion chief for his disaster relief work. The board unanimously passed an agreement with its union to allow the hiring of EMTs, who will then be trained as paramedics. More details are available in the full story.

The meeting began with a special presentation where Battalion Chief Mike Parkhurst received the MABAS Humanitarian Award for his service during a flood response in Texas. The board also received updates on the Station 62 remodel project, which is moving forward with permit applications next month. Full stories on the award and the construction project are available for review.

EMS Calls Continue to Rise:
Deputy Chief Vavra reported that emergency medical service calls now account for 63% of the district’s total call volume. The district is on pace to respond to 6,035 calls this year, which represents an increase of 500 calls over the previous year. He also noted that the district has only responded to four EMS calls at the Crossroads location.

Refurbished Ambulance Arriving Soon:
A refurbished ambulance that the district ordered two years ago is finally ready for service. According to Fire Chief Riegel’s report, DC Randolph was in Iowa to pick up the vehicle. It will receive its graphics next week and is expected to be finalized and put into service in October, pending approval from the Illinois Department of Public Health.

August Financial Report Approved:
The board unanimously approved the treasurer’s report for August 2025. The district ended the month with a cash balance of $9,194,786. As of the meeting date, cash on deposit was $8,416,304. The board also approved payments for the September 5 payroll of $223,214 and accounts payable totaling $555,268.

District Seeking Quotes for Firefighter Testing:
Fire Chief Adam Riegel is exploring options for firefighter candidate testing services. He reported that he has reached out to both the National Testing Network and IO Solutions to get quotes. He noted that both services have similar testing timelines. The information will be used to select a vendor for future hiring processes.