BK Fire Protection District Opts for Online Scheduling Program

Program will save department time and money, officials said.

In an effort to increase staff efficiency, the Bristol-Kendall Fire Protection District switched to an online scheduling system for shift coverage. BK officials said the switch is efficient and will save the department money due to less copier ink and paper being used.When setting monthly schedules for the department Assistant Chief Tim Fairfield would hand out shift request sheets to department members, then enter the requests into a spreadsheet and create a paper calendar for distribution. To cut down on the paper and time, the department switched to an online program called FIRE Manager. In addition to scheduling features, the program offers certification tracking capabilities, an event calendar and a library where documents and videos …

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Yorkville July 4 Celebration in Jeopardy As Firemen's Association Disbands

Fire department to host open meeting Jan. 2 at 7 p.m.

With the dissolving of the Bristol Kendall Firemen’s Association, fire officials are looking for a new organization to sponsor the July 4 celebration in Yorkville. For the past 57 years the organization that once played an integral role in the day-to-day operations of the fire district has organized the annual Independence Day celebration. But with the changing times and the diminished role of the association, it became time to pass off the July 4 responsibilities to another group, said Bristol Kendall Fire Chief Michael Hitzemann. “With so many of the training requirements our guys have to go through once a week, this is a burden we decided to let go,” Hitzemann said. On Jan. 2 Bristol Kendall Fire Protection District members will hold an…

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Authorities Euthanize Dog Involved in Fatal Attack

Kane County Animal Control put down a mastiff that attacked and killed a Bristol Kendall firefighter.

The dog that attacked and killed a member of the Bristol Kendall Fire Protection District was euthanized by Kane County authorities last week. Lt. Pat Gengler of the Kane County Sheriff’s Office confirmed the mastiff Dawn Brown and her husband took in only a week before the incident was put down by Kane County Animal Control over Thanksgiving. Brown, a 44-year-old firefighter/ paramedic for Bristol Kendall and the Big Rock Fire Protection District, died earlier this month from injuries sustained in an attack by the dog. Gengler said the six-year-old animal was put down at the request of Brown’s husband, not from a court order. Two other dogs owned by the Browns, a boxer and a pit bull mixed breed, were returned to the care of Brown’s …

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UPDATE: Firefighter Died of Attack From Her Own Dog

Dawn Brown was home alone at the time of the attack. Here are more details.

Editor's note: This story was updated Wednesday evening to include more information about why the Browns took in the dog. A 44-year-old firefighter from western Kane County died as a result of wounds sustained from a dog attack in her home, according to police. Dawn Brown was found dead Monday inside her home, located on the 400 block of Jefferson Street in Big Rock. The Kane County Coroner completed an autopsy and determined that Brown died of attack wounds from a mastiff, one of three dogs that she and her husband own. The Browns got the mastiff about a week ago from a family member, said Lt. Pat Gengler, Kane County Sheriff's Office spokesman. The dog does not have a history of aggression. "We really don’t know what prompted the attack …

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Bristol Kendall Firefighter Dies

Dawn Brown, a firefighter/ paramedic with the Bristol Kendall Fire Protection District, died Monday at her home.

The Bristol Kendall Fire Protection District is mourning the death of a colleague today. Dawn Brown, a firefighter/ paramedic, died Monday at her Big Rock home, the result of an apparent accident, Chief Michael Hitzemann said Tuesday morning. She was off duty at the time. “She was a kind and caring person … a quality person,” a shaken Hitzemann said. “We’re just devastated.” Kane County Sheriff’s Deputies and Big Rock EMS found Brown deceased inside her home. Deputies were dispatched to the home at about 4:15 p.m. Monday, according to the Kane County Sheriff's Office. The Kane County Coroner’s Office will conduct an autopsy regarding this death, according to a report in Batavia Patch. Brown, 44, was a member of the Bristol Kendall Fire …

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How You Can Help the Colonial Parkway Fire Victims

Friends created a website, are planning a fundraiser June 24.

Efforts are underway to support the families displaced by an early morning fire at 118 Colonial Parkway last month. The fire damaged the middle two units and left smoke and water damage in the other two units, Bristol-Kendall Fire Protection District Chief Michael Hitzemann said the day after the fire. Officials believe it started with an electrical outlet near a back deck. Firefighters arrived a little after 3 a.m. May 21 to see the entire rear wall and two decks on fire, Hitzemann said. The fire spread to the attic and crept forward to damage the siding on the front of the building before crews could put it out. Yorkville police had cleared the building, and no one, including pets, was injured. Now, friends and neighbors are trying to …

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Jillian Duchnowski

9:06 am on Thursday, June 14, 2012

Sorry, Jackie. I fixed the problems in the article. The fundraiser at Dan's Roadhouse is June 24, and the website is http://www.colonialparkwayfire.com/   more ›

Authorities Respond to Brush Fire

A backyard bonfire on Legion Road got out-of-control Friday night.

No One Home When Spring Street Fire Started

Fire officials said Friday morning that the cause of the fire that heavily damaged a Heartland subdivision home is undetermined.

Officials believe the fire at 1112 Spring St. started in the back patio area and spread into the single-family home's attic. None of the residents were home when the alarm sounded at 6:38 p.m. Thursday, Bristol Kendall Fire Protection District Chief Michael Hitzemann said. No one had been in the house for at least 90 minutes, but wind could have contributed to the fire's origin. Officials have found no signs of foul play, he said. "We are still struggling to figure out what caused it," Hitzemann said Friday morning. "We are still investigating it.” Crews worked until about 11 p.m. Thursday. The American Red Cross provided immediate help for the family, and the insurance company representatives stepped up, Hitzemann said. Early estimates …

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Photos: Spring Street Fire

A fire rendered a single-family home in the Heartland subdivision uninhabitable Thursday evening.

No one was injured in a fire that destroyed a single-family home at 1112 Spring St. in Yorkville, Bristol Kendall Fire Protection District Chief Michael Hitzemann said. Crews responded to the single-family home in the Heartland subdivision, which is is southeast of McHugh Road and Route 34, about 6:35 p.m. By 8 p.m., all the home's occupants had been accounted for but firefighters were still working at the scene and exploring its origin. The home sites at the intersection of Autumn Drive and Spring Street. Hitzemann said more information would be available Friday morning. The fire was the area's second structure fire this week. Two townhomes were destroyed and two others damaged on Colonial Parkway early Monday morning in a fire that …

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Monday's Fire Likely Started by Deck Electrical Outlet

Blaze on Colonial Parkway left four units uninhabitable, Bristol Kendall Fire Protection District Chief Michael Hitzemann said.

Authorities believe the fire that caused more than $150,000 in damages at 118 Colonial Parkway early Monday started around an electrical outlet near a back deck. Firefighters arrived a little after 3 a.m. to see the entire rear wall and two decks on fire, Bristol Kendall Fire Protection District Chief Michael Hitzemann said. The fire spread to the attic and crept forward to damage the siding on the front of the building before crews could put it out. Yorkville police had cleared the building, and no one, including pets, was injured. “There is some fire damage in the center two units, and there is smoke and water damage throughout the entire building," Hitzemann said. Fire crews left the scene about 7 a.m. The American Red Cross provided …

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