Silver Lake FD tire issue to be addressed Wednesday

silver-lake-fd-doorWhether the Silver Lake Fire Department apparatus will get new tires and head back out on calls may be decided Wednesday night.

The agenda for the regular Village Board meeting includes the item “Discuss/Possible Action on tires for Fire Department Vehicles.” The item was placed on the agenda by Trustee Roger Johnson.

The condition of the tires has been a point of contention since the last meeting on May 21 when then acting fire Chief Roger Pattie said he was taking the trucks out of service because of the age of the tires. He cited standards that would have called for the tires to have been replaced twice by now. The old tires, regardless of mileage or outward condition, made the trucks unsafe to operate, Pattie said. A subsequent inspection of the tires by a consultant brought in by Johnson showed the tires to be in good shape and with sufficient tread depth. But the tires’ age still raised a question as to whether the tires should be replaced.

Village fire trucks have not been responding to calls since Pattie declared the trucks out of service on May 21. The Kenosha News recently reported that in addition village President Sue Gerber instructed Kenosha County Joint Services Dispatch to not tone out SLFD for any calls and instead tone out Randall Fire Department and Town of Wheatland Fire Department for fire calls in Silver Lake.

Silver Lake Rescue Squad continues to respond to medical calls in the village.

Other agenda items of possible significance include:

  • From Trustee Patrick Dunn: Discuss/Possible Action on the Direct Legislation Petition.
  • From Trustee Patrick Dunn: Discuss/Possible Action Concerning Silver Lake Rescue Inc.

Due to an anticipated large audience, the May 21 meeting was held at Riverview School. Wednesday’s meeting, according to the agenda posted on the village website, is still scheduled to be held at Village Hall.

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8 Comments

  1. Concerned says:

    I would like to know how long it is going to take to get their acts together. Will it take, god forbid a death?? Thank goodness the school incident wasn’t worse. There are over 500 people in that building. What would they have done if it was a real emergency??? I know what I would be doing. Calling my lawyer!!!

  2. Bernard Punsley says:

    One word: PROCRASTINATION

  3. Captain Courageous says:

    This is a question the Randall and Wheatland fire departments should be asking themselves….”how old are your tires”? This goes way beyond tires, it shows the complete lack of confidence the Village of Silver Lake Board has in their fire department, and their outright refusal to provide them with the tools to do their job. Remember last year when SLFD firefighters had to used “borrowed” SCBA from Gateway? RFD and WFD can boast “we are just helping out or neighboring community”. Really? By replacing their fire department? You have let yourselves become political pawns in this deadly chess game. Why don’t you attend the village board meeting Wednesday night and see first hand how the board treats your “brother and sister” firefighters. With your help.

  4. Ughh says:

    I can’t believe they even need to have a meeting on whether or not to replace the tires on the fire trucks. If you have a hole in the the roof of a school or other business and water is pouring in, do you have a meeting TWO WEEKS LATER, or do you fix it now? Obviously king sue and all those other jockies in public office know better though.

  5. Where is "THE ROCK"? says:

    We have not heard from “The Rock” lately………..what’s up with that?!

  6. Nothing New says:

    Here is the deal. Every board does this. Having a board is the worst thing any company or town could have. Nothing will ever! get done. They will always fight with those in charge of the departments they oversee. The ones who are trained to do their jobs and not just elected. They fight because they need to justify their existence. That is why they come up with stupid ideas and rules. To just keep themselves busy. Nothing will ever change with this board. They way it should work. Is to have representatives from the Fire Department, Public Works, Police department ect on the board. Not Sliver Lake Rescue, because they are not part of silver lake. they are privately owned.

  7. I’m also thinking …that this may have been Sue’s Master Plan in the first place.. to let SLFD collapse and, Me Personally think she wanted Rescue to take the reigns of Fire and just move Rescues trucks in SLFDs bay.. the writing on the wall, when the Apparatus that needing maintenance, being moved on at a snail’s pace… so here is my end game prediction.. Sue will drag this along.. But the tires just to shut us up… but not do anything to address the staffing issues. other maintenance, training, purchasing.. to help Fire I just don’t understand the logic.. what I find interesting …… is that only a fraction of SLRS..even live in Silver Lake … this just never ends If this was her plan… Why was She NOT forthright with her Village Residents!!! No contact from Village President, Emergency Service Committee (Roger Johnson) NOTHING…. Being on the Silver Lake Volunteer Department It seems extremely unprofessional to keep all of us in limbo. without even a phone call email… anything. shows how much we must mean to her!!! Thanks Sue!!!

  8. I’m also thinking …that this may have been Sue’s Master Plan in the first place.. to let SLFD collapse and, Me Personally think she wanted Rescue to take the reigns of Fire and just move Rescues trucks in SLFDs bay.. the writing on the wall, when the Apparatus that needing maintenance, being moved on at a snail’s pace… so here is my end game prediction.. Sue will drag this along.. Buy the tires just to shut us up… but not do anything to address the staffing issues. other maintenance, training, purchasing.. to help Fire. I just don’t understand the logic.. what I find interesting …… is that only a fraction of SLRS..even live in Silver Lake … this just never ends If this was her plan… Why was She NOT forthright with her Village Residents!!! No contact from Village President, Emergency Service Committee (Roger Johnson) NOTHING…. Being on the Silver Lake Volunteer Department It seems extremely unprofessional to keep all of us in limbo. without even a phone call email… anything. shows how much we must mean to her!!! Thanks Sue!!! – See more at: http://westofthei.com.customers.tigertech.net/2014/06/03/silver-lake-fd-tire-issue-to-be-addressed-wednesday/47633/comment-page-1#comment-86585

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