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The *Daily Herald* has another report on the recent split between the Village of Barrington Fire Department and the Barrington Countryside Fire Protection District. The two agencies officially went their separate ways on New Year’s Day, but not without a few last-minute hiccups.
Even though 19 firefighters were laid off from the village department at midnight, they weren’t allowed to take their personal protective gear with them. This created an immediate problem for the newly formed fire district, which had to quickly borrow equipment from the Fox River Grove Fire Protection District just days before the transition. They’re also working on leasing more gear in the coming months to meet their needs.
According to Barrington Village Manager Jeff Lawler, the issue stemmed from the fact that the fired firefighters were hired through Paramedic Services of Illinois, not directly by the village. “It’s taxpayer-owned equipment, and we can’t just hand it over without following proper legal procedures,†he said. He mentioned that this matter was discussed with fire district officials in early December, and he was confused about how it wasn’t resolved before the split.
Barrington Countryside board president Tom Rowan, however, said that the conversation Lawler referenced seems to be one only the village remembers. He emphasized that during their long-standing partnership, all equipment was jointly owned and was meant to be divided evenly—just like the vehicles. But now, with the separation, the fire district is left scrambling to get the necessary gear.
Barrington Countryside Fire Chief Jeff Swanson acknowledged that while rules should be followed, safety must always come first. “We needed that gear right away on New Year’s Day,†he said. The 19 former village firefighters are now being equipped with leased gear, as new custom-fitted equipment isn’t expected until spring.
Currently, the fire district employs 34 firefighters through Paramedic Services of Illinois. Only those 19 who were laid off from the village department faced the gear issue. Despite the challenges, both departments have been operating smoothly since the split. The Barrington Fire Department now covers just the village’s five square miles, whereas the Countryside district continues to serve a much larger area, including parts of Barrington Hills, Lake Barrington, South Barrington, Inverness, and unincorporated areas of Cook, Lake, and McHenry counties.
Rowan noted that morale among the new staff is high. In fact, they even cleaned all their new equipment shortly after receiving it from the village on Wednesday morning.
As for the apparatus, here's what we know so far:
**Barrington Fire Department:**
- One engine
- The quint
- The battalion buggy
- Two ambulances
**Barrington Countryside FPD:**
- Two engines
- The squad
- The tanker (plus a newly acquired one)
- Two ambulances
At this time, we're still unclear about who owns the brush unit. Stay tuned for updates as the situation develops.