The Naperville Sun recently published an article discussing ongoing conversations about the potential regional consolidation of fire protection services and how it might affect the City of Naperville.
A task force in DuPage County is currently exploring the possibility of consolidating firefighting services across the county, which has raised concerns about the closure of local fire stations to improve efficiency. However, at this stage, it seems unlikely that Naperville will see any station closures.
Naperville Fire Chief Mark Puknaitis is part of a group that includes members of the DuPage Fire Chiefs Association, representatives from the DuPage Mayors and Managers Conference, and DuPage County Board member Gary Grasso (R-Burr Ridge). Their goal is to examine ways fire departments can consolidate certain services to reduce costs while maintaining high-quality emergency response.
Last week, Grasso introduced a proposed quadrant system that divides the county into four regions. Naperville would be located in the southwest quadrant, along with a large portion of Lisle. This model aims to streamline operations and potentially improve resource allocation.
The initiative is part of a long-standing discussion among DuPage officials about how to enhance fire protection services while making them more cost-effective. According to Puknaitis, Naperville's taxpayers are in a relatively good position when it comes to fire protection costs. He shared that he only pays $100 per year in property taxes for fire services on his own home.
Puknaitis explained that Naperville benefits from a diversified funding model. While many fire protection districts rely solely on property taxes, Naperville uses additional revenue sources, such as sales tax, to support its fire department. He pointed out that neighboring areas like Lisle-Woodridge and Plainfield are separate taxing bodies, limiting their ability to generate revenue beyond property taxes.
Although no one on the task force has yet suggested merging taxing bodies, the quadrant proposal is still in its early stages. Consolidating services could require cooperation between different districts, especially when it comes to shared resources like equipment or emergency response coordination.
Puknaitis sees value in the quadrant system and believes that shared services—such as joint equipment purchases or cross-district response efforts—could help reduce costs and improve efficiency. For example, if a neighboring district is closer to an emergency, they could assist in responding more quickly.
Naperville handles approximately 20% of DuPage County’s fire and EMS calls. Over time, the role of fire departments has evolved from primarily handling structure fires to providing a wide range of services. Today, Naperville averages around 25–30 significant structure fire calls annually, but handles over 11,000 to 12,000 other calls, including emergency medical responses, false alarms, and smaller incidents.
Despite these changes, Puknaitis remains confident that the entire county can improve fire protection without closing any stations in Naperville. He believes collaboration and smart planning can lead to better service and lower costs for all residents.
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