Many communities in Illinois are working together to deliver the best public services possible at the lowest possible cost. With this in mind, Highwood is investigating an opportunity to contract with Highland Park to provide fire services to our community. Highland Park makes the most sense as a partner due to their close location and exceptional nationally accredited department.
The staff from both departments are reviewing many components of an agreement and evaluating the impact a move like this would have on service levels, response times and financial savings and the early indications are that Highland Park could provide highly trained firefighters and paramedics, a significant financial savings and response times very comparable to our current department.
There are several significant issues that still need to be resolved that include drafting the agreement with Highland Park, getting an agreement with the International Association of Firefighters and obtaining public input on an agreement. Ultimately, Highwood residents would need to pass a referendum in March to allow for the closure of the existing station.
We will continue to update the website with more information as it becomes available. If you have any questions please feel free to contact City Manager Scott Coren at (847) 432-1931.