Fire Administration and Finance

Administration and Finance
The Deputy Chief of Administration and Finance oversees and is responsible for seven main areas within the Northbrook Fire Department – Training, Records, Reports and Information Technology, Payroll, Accounts Payable and Receivable, Labor Management Relations, Facilities, and Budget. In addition, the Office of Administration and Finance is responsible for several Human Resource functions of the department, including Workman’s Compensation /Intergovernmental Risk Management Agency (IRMA) matters, scheduled and unscheduled leave, and day-to-day personnel matters.

Budget
The Fire Department’s FY09/10 $10 million budget accounts for about 27% of the General Funds of the Village’s annual budget, and is managed by Deputy Chief of Administration and Finance.  Over eighty percent of the Fire Department Budget is for personnel salaries and benefits. The department continually seeks grant opportunities most recently resulting in a $295,000 Assistance to Firefighters Grant received for the purchase of all new, substantially upgraded Self Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) for the safety of line personnel.  The largest capital purchase in 08/09 was a new aerial tower ladder, costing just under $1 million for the vehicle and all the equipment.  This tower ladder is expected to serve Northbrook for the next twenty years.

Accounts Payable/Receivable & Ambulance Billing
The Northbrook Fire Department has been charging an ambulance transportation fee since 1993. The transportation fee applies only when the Fire Department ambulance provides transportation to the hospital. There is no charge for emergency response without transport. Since May 1, 2009 the ambulance transportation fee has been $500 for residents of the Village of Northbrook and the Northbrook Rural Fire Protection District and $700 for non-residents.  

Financial management of hundreds of invoices, purchase orders, check requests, and all bookkeeping duties, including our Ambulance Transport Billing is part of the Administrative Division. In FY08/09 the department exceeded our goal of $750,000 in receipts, due in large part to electronic streamlining of the billing and collection process.

Most health insurance policies, including Medicare, provide coverage for this type of service. The Northbrook Fire Department has been a certified provider for Medicare and Medicaid since 1993. No payment is requested or accepted at the time of service. Billing normally occurs within a few weeks of the incident. Waivers may be allowed in the case of a financial hardship.

Request For Insurance Information For Ambulance Transport

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) Privacy Rule 

Payroll
Auditing and organization of the department’s Ambulance Incident Reports ensures correct completion and easy retrieval of Tollway billing and other related needs, and provides exceptional quality control of all Fire and EMS incident reports. In addition, payroll for the 100 full and part-time Fire Department employees is overseen by the Division.  The following unfunded Federal Laws have an impact of the Fire Department overtime budget.  Staff monitors the overtime expenditures monthly and adjusts shift assignments as needed to help reduce expenses.

Records, Reports and Information Technology
The Assistant to the Chief, our Information Technology expert, continues to maintain the Fire Department’s records, as well as every facet of our department computer system.  All fire apparatus have computers to assist with routing, preplans, and hazardous materials identification.  All the vehicles are Automatic Vehicle Locator (AVL) equipped to help the dispatchers quickly assign the closest unit to an emergency. This year the department is moving ever closer to a paperless Emergency Medical Services reporting system, through the progressive use of electronic tablet computers and an increasing sophisticated dispatch interface. This year new software and hardware for increased efficiency in both Fire and EMS reporting have been installed at all three fire stations.  The Office of the State Fire Marshal (OSFM) and Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) have mandated specific computer incident reporting processes.

Labor/Management Relations
The administrative staff continues to value its positive, open relationship with line personnel. Quarterly meetings are held to enhance this cooperative atmosphere.  The 60 career firefighters and Lieutenants represented by the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) Local 1894 are covered by the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).  Command Officer Supervisors, Captains and District Chiefs are not in the bargaining unit, but work the same 24/48 hour shift.

Training
The Administrative Division manages the day-to-day training of our firefighters, as well as scheduling outside classes and seminars. This year the department also participated in various exercises including combined mutual aid drills with surrounding departments, cooperative drills with fellow Northbrook agencies, and instructional drills with several of Northbrook’s commercial occupancies. Firefighters also frequently drilled in abandoned homes that were scheduled for demolition. Northbrook’s Special Teams maintained their excellent training regime and remain the most highly trained Hazardous Materials, Special Rescue, and Dive Team members.