About the Spring Grove Fire Prot

Residents Should be Wary of Telephone Solicitations

The Spring Grove Fire Protection District does not solicit any donations from residents via telephone, mail. or door to door. The only group that we work with that solicits donations is the "Spring Grove Firefighters Association". Recently there was a group that calls itself the “Illinois Association of Disabled and Retired Firefighters.”. This group has been soliciting donations from residents in towns close to Spring Grove and stating that the donations will directly benefit that towns firefighters. These fire departments have not received any funds from this group and the group is not registered with the Illinois Attorney Generals Office as required.

According to “Things You Should Know About Phone Scams,” published by the Attorney General’s Office, consumers should be cautious about any telephone solicitations for charities. “Con artists often label their phony charities with names that sound like well-known, reputable organizations,” the publication says. “Ask whether the solicitor is a professional fund raiser, and if so, how much of the donation actually goes to the charity. Ask for this information in writing.”

Other tips for telephone solicitations:

· Never give out credit card numbers, social security numbers or other personal information if you haven’t initiated the call.

· Ask for the name, address and telephone number of the group that’s calling. If you’re unfamiliar with the group, you can check them out with the Village, the Better Business Bureau, or other consumer groups. Sometimes, you can find out about a scam simply by checking out the group’s name on the Internet.

· You can find out if a charity is registered with the state by checking with the Attorney General’s Charitable Trusts Bureau at (312) 814-2595.

If you have questions about this or any fire or police solicitation, contact the Police Department at (815) 675-2956 or the fire department at (815)675-2450.

The SGFPD is a branch of local government which provides Fire and Advanced Life Support (ALS-Paramedics) ambulance services to approximately 23 square miles of property located in Burton and Richmond Townships. The fire department, formerly known as the Burton-Richmond Fire Protection District began service in 1925 becoming a formal Taxing, Fire District in 1940. The District added rescue/ambulance service in 1981 when the department moved into its new station located at 8214 Richardson Road. Fire and ALS services are provided to approximately 8000 residents, primarily within the village of Spring Grove, IL. The department is currently 24/7 paid on premise (POP) asssuring coverage for all residents within the district day and night. Paid-on-call (POC) and volunteer members continue to respond to all calls to provide additional staff.

The mission of the Spring Grove Fire Protection District is to provide customer oriented, value added, fiscally responsible Fire and EMS service to the community. Specifically, the mission is to prevent fires and reduce mortality and morbidity thru public education and routine bureau inspections; minimize fire loss thru up to date suppression tactics; efficiently rescue individuals trapped in emergency situations; and provide the best ALS transport service available; all while operating safely by providing initial and ongoing education and training for the firefighters, EMT's and paramedics that provide the service.