Monroe Township Fire Protection District announces daytime staffing to enhance fire and EMS coverage

MONROE CENTER – Fire Chief Scott Jaeger has announced a significant operational enhancement for the Monroe Township Fire Protection District.

Beginning Jan. 6, the station will implement daytime staffing for Fire and EMS incidents during the hours of 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, with plans to expand to seven-day coverage in the future.

“This strategic move aims to improve emergency response times and better serve residents during peak activity hours. The new staffing model addresses the challenges posed by an increasing number of calls for service during working hours when many of our Paid-On-Call members are unavailable due to their career commitments,” officials said in a new release.

First daytime employees of the Monroe Township Fire Protection District are Deputy Chief Richard Wilson, Tiffany Zielinski, Niki Ritacco, Tyler Gorsegner, and Tyler Kilcullen. They will be responsible for daily station activities and will immediately respond to emergencies as needed.

To further enhance community safety and wellness, the district will also launch the following initiatives:

• Be Alarmed! Smoke Detector Installation Program – Providing residents with complimentary smoke detectors and installations by partnering with the Illinois Fire Safety Alliance and the Office of the State Fire Marshal.
• In-home Blood Pressure Checks – Offering convenient health screenings for residents on the dates crews are at the station.
• File of Life – setting up medical information in a standard location within the resident’s home. This aids the EMS crews in collecting important information during emergencies that family members have a hard time recalling/locating for the EMS crews.

“This change is about preparedness and providing our residents with the peace of mind that comes with knowing help is readily available,” Jaeger said. “We’re excited to take this next step in better serving our community.”

The Monroe Township Fire Protection District transitioned from an all-volunteer fire department to a Paid-On-Call model about 15 years ago. This latest operational upgrade underscores the district’s dedication to evolving with the community’s needs and ensuring dependable, prompt emergency services, according to the release.

To learn more or schedule these services, contact Deputy Chief Richard Wilson via email at Deputychief@mtfpd.net.