Woodstock Fire Rescue District news

Woodstock Fire Chief Ralph Webster recently confirmed that changes are on the horizon for the Woodstock Fire Rescue District following the decision by Lakewood Village to terminate its contract with them. The agreement, which had been in place for five years, was not renewed, and instead, Lakewood opted for a more cost-effective arrangement with the Crystal Lake Fire Department.

The Woodstock Fire Rescue District has been responsible for staffing Lakewood’s only fire station on Haligus Road, which will now be closing. According to Webster, 12 employees were stationed there, and while he is working on a plan to retain as many of them as possible, not all can be kept. “There’s going to have to be some changes,” he said. “It could mean reducing hours across the board or even eliminating some positions.”

The Lakewood Village Board voted 3-1, with one trustee abstaining, to go with the Crystal Lake Fire Department’s proposal. This new contract is slightly cheaper and ties future increases to the village’s tax base, rather than the original deal with Woodstock. Under the previous agreement, the cost would have been $750,000 in the first year, increasing by 1.5% annually for four years, plus an annual $25,000 capital contribution for equipment.

Under the new arrangement, the Crystal Lake Fire Department will continue to operate its Bard Road station, which was originally built with Lakewood in mind. The station currently employs four to five staff members, according to Crystal Lake Fire Chief Paul DeRaedt. The estimated cost for the first year under the new contract is around $744,000, calculated using Crystal Lake’s tax rate applied to Lakewood’s property base. This model will determine the fee over the 10-year term, with options to renew in five-year increments up to four times.

Chief Webster plans to present his proposed changes to the Woodstock Fire Rescue District Board of Trustees after the new year, with any adjustments expected to take effect in February. Meanwhile, Lakewood officials have indicated that the move means they won’t need to build a new fire station in the future. They also plan to sell their existing fire equipment and pay off an internal loan, as noted in a memo from Village Manager Catherine Peterson.