INFORMATION

Green Address Signs

The SWFPD is taking orders for Reflective Address Markers for both home and business. These simple inexpensive markers are a great way to make your address immediately visible to responding personnel. Take the first step in making your home or business a safe place. Click the button below to download a PDF form to fill out and return with a fee of $10. This modest fee covers the cost of the sign material.

WHEN YOU COMPLETE THE FORM BE SURE TO INCLUDE:

Your street address
Your mounting preference (horizontal or vertical)
Contact Information

We will make the sign and contact your for delivery, please remember to include your phone number. The signs are green with white lettering (no substitutions).

“If we can’t find you, we can’t help you!” – click here. They cost $10.

Key Box (Knox Box) Information

The South Wheatland Fire Protection District administers a residential “Knox Box” key box program for residents living within the boundaries of the fire district. The purpose of this program is to provide key boxes to individuals in the district who are elderly, people with medical difficulties, people on life alert/care link or people living alone that may want a piece of mind that they can be reached with relative ease.

The “Knox Box” securely stores a locked key to your residence that allows only the Fire Department to have access to the home in the event that you have a medical emergency and are unable to open the door for us to reach you and provide you with medical assistance.

If you fit the above criteria we encourage you to contact us for further details.

Iso Rating

WHAT IS THE PPC PROGRAM?
ISO collects information on fire-protection efforts in districts and communities throughout the United States. In each of these areas, ISO analyzes the relevant data using the Fire Suppression Rating Schedule (FSRS). Based on this schedule following extensive review ISO then assigns a Public Protection Classification from 1 to 10. Class 1 generally represents superior property fire protection, and Class 10 indicates that the area’s fire-suppression program doesn’t meet ISO’s minimum criteria.

By classifying fire departments ability to suppress fires, ISO helps the areas evaluate their public fire-protection services. The program provides an objective, countrywide standard that helps fire departments in planning and budgeting for facilities, equipment, and training. By securing lower fire insurance premiums for departments, districts and communities with better fire protection, the PPC program provides incentives and rewards for communities that choose to improve their firefighting services. The Insurance premiums of residential and commercial properties are based on the rating determined by ISO.

ISO has extensive information on more than 47,000 fire-response jurisdictions.

South Wheatland Fire Protection District undergoes and evaluation every 5 to 10 years and most recently underwent an evaluation in October 2015. Our current rating is a split Class 5/7 classification.
ISO Class 5 applies to properties within 5 road miles of a recognized fire station and within 1,000 feet of a fire hydrant or alternate water source that can be accessed and utilized at ALL times of the year.

ISO Class 7 applies to properties beyond 1,000 feet of a hydrant but less than 5 road miles of a recognized fire station.

Please check with your Insurance Company to see how these apply to your Insurance premiums.

MABAS

The Mutual Aid Box Alarm System (MABAS) is an organization of hundreds of fire departments in the Illinois and Southern Wisconsin. MABAS provides an orderly move up of equipment to the scene of fires, accidents or other incidents when requested. Equipment is moved around according to predetermined lists, called “Box Cards” Each card covers specific types of incidents in specific areas. Small towns may have a single Fire box card, larger towns may have dozens. MABAS has been adopted statewide in Illinois for Fire and EMS Mutual Aid. Other Neighboring states are also becoming a part MABAS: including Missouri, Indiana, Iowa and Kentucky.

MABAS is broken down into “Divisions.” Each Division has a headquarters Dispatch and Back-up Dispatch. When a department realizes it cannot contain an incident alone they notify our local Dispatch and request a “Box Alarm” or as we call them in our Division-46 a “second Tanker alarm” or “second Hydrant alarm” etc. In addition in Macon County all agencies outside Decatur participate in an Automatic Mutual Aid agreement for 1st alarms and Supervisory Alarms. If we need additional resources beyond the initial alarm, then we escalate the level of alarm per our predetermined “Box Cards”. “Chiefs” are also assigned to various tasks on an incident like “Staging”, “Rehab”, “Safety”, or “Sectors”. Often times these positions may actually be assigned to a Lieutenant, Captain, Battalion Chief, and Deputy Chief Etc. depending on availability of Chiefs themselves. These positions report to “Command” (who is in overall command of the incident). MABAS has adopted the National Incident Command System (NIMS) to coordinate scenes in an orderly and recognized manner. It is understood that an incident scene is a dynamic environment and can quickly change.

Board Meeting Dates 2023

All meetings are held on Monday evening at 19:00hrs (7:00 p.m.) at the South Wheatland Fire Protection District located at 1851 S. Taylorville Rd.

Monday – 01/16/23
Monday – 02/20/23
Monday – 3/20/23
Monday – 4/17/23
Monday – 5/15/23
Monday – 6/19/23
Monday – 7/17/23
Monday – 8/21/23
Monday – 9/18/23
Monday – 10/16/23
Monday – 11/20/23
Monday – 12/18/23

Monthly Board meeting minutes

Macon County Emergency Alert Notification System

For more information please click here.

Yellow Dot Program

The Illinois Department of Transportation today unveiled the Illinois YellowDot program, a life-saving, traffic safety initiative that provides first responders with critical information to improve emergency care for persons involved in vehicle crashes.

Yellow Dot participants are supplied with a simple, bright yellow decal for their car and a corresponding yellow folder. The decal is placed in a conspicuous and consistent place – in the lower left-hand corner of the rear window, driver’s side. The yellow dot signifies there is a folder in the glove compartment containing the following medical information about the motorists: participant’s name, close-up photo, emergency contact information, patient’s physician information, medical conditions, recent surgeries, allergies and a list of current medications. Having access to this information allows first responders to make important decisions regarding emergency treatment and can better prepare emergency hospital staff in the receiving room.

Learn more about the IL Yellow Dot Program: click here.

Open Burning Information

Fire Station Tours

Call SWFPD at (217) 429-1031 for a tour of the department, if no one answers at the administrative office, please leave a message and we will call you back to set up a day and time.

Maltese Cross

When a courageous band of crusaders known as the Knights of St. John, fought the Saracens for possession of the holy land, they encountered a new weapon unknown to European warriors. It was a simple, but a horrible device of war, it wrought excruciating pain and agonizing death upon the brave fighters for the cross. The Saracen's weapon was, fire.

As the crusaders advanced on the walls of the city, they were struck by glass bombs containing naphtha. When they became saturated with the highly flammable liquid, the Saracens hurled a flaming torch into their midst. Hundreds of the knights were burned alive; others risked their lives to save their brothers-in-arms from dying painful, fiery deaths.

Thus, these men became our first firefighter and the first of a long list of courageous firefighters. Their heroic efforts were recognized by fellow crusaders who awarded each here a badge of honor - a cross similar to the one firefighter's wear today. Since the Knights of St. John lived for close to four centuries on a little island in the Mediterranean Sea named Malta, the cross came to be known as the Maltese Cross.

The Maltese Cross is your symbol of protection. It means that the firefighter who wears this cross is willing to lay down his life for you just as the crusaders sacrificed their lives for their fellow man so many years ago. The Maltese Cross is a firefighter's badge of honor, signifying that he works in courage - a ladder rung away from death.