New South Beloit fire chief to serve in both Illinois and Wisconsin communities

SOUTH BELOIT, Sick. (WMTV) – Jason Griffin labored day one Thursday of his twin function as South Beloit Hearth Chief and as a deputy for the Metropolis of Beloit Hearth Division in Wisconsin.

Based on South Beloit Metropolis Administrator Sonya Hoppes, the South Beloit Hearth Division went by a number of management modifications inside the final yr. These modifications impressed the town and hearth division to work with the Metropolis of Beloit Hearth Division to create a place that serves each communities.

Chief Griffin grew up in close by Rockton, Sick. and most just lately served as a firefighter for the Metropolis of Beloit for 23 years.

Hoppes stated funding a small hearth division is a tricky problem.

“This transfer for my part is how we save our division. It’s how we make certain we will live on,” Hoppes stated. “Sharing a chief is slam dunk. It’s probably the most financially accountable possibility for each communities and it permits us just a little additional layer of assist and compensates them for his or her assist that’s already taking place anyway.”

Chief Griffin stated the brand new function will make coaching extra cohesive and assist firefighters at each departments get to know each other sooner.

“We’re simply breaking these partitions down on every space and we’re coming collectively and we’re working as one,” Chief Griffin stated. “We’re going to begin coaching regularly collectively in order that method once we get on hearth scenes we all know what one another’s capabilities are, we all know the gear that they’ve. So it’s simply going to make the entire hearth scene safer for everyone.”

He stated each departments can reply faster now and having extra individuals at a hearth scene makes all surrounding communities safer.

Hoppes stated each cities will profit from sharing emergency response sources.

“Chief Griffin simply supplies a layer of safety in case any wheels fall off the bus,” she stated. “It’s an added layer of safety for our division in order that anytime a wheel blows out we’re not scrambling making an attempt to determine how you can maintain our automobiles transferring ahead.”

The Metropolis of South Beloit will reimburse the Metropolis of Beloit for 25% of Griffin’s wage value.

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