Ask a Fire Code Question
E-mail your question to the Assistant Fire Chief  or call the Fire Prevention Bureau at 847/818-5253.

Ask about an Ambulance Bill
Contact sgonet@mountprospect.org

Be a Firefighter
Information regarding our testing schedule.

Have a Fire Pit or Outdoor Fireplace
Information about the Village’s open burning in fire pits and outdoor fireplaces regulations can be found. 

Request Copies of an Ambulance Report
Instructions for requesting ambulance reports.

Request Copies of Fire Investigation Reports/Fire Prevention Records/Non-EMS Incident Reports
Requests for fire investigation reports, fire prevention records, and non-EMS incident reports must be made through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). Access the Freedom of Information Request Form and more detailed procedures.

Schedule a Fire Inspection
Call the Fire Prevention Bureau at 847/818-5253.

Schedule a Fire Station Tour
Call the Fire Prevention Bureau at 847/818-5253. Please keep in mind the following guidelines regarding fire station tours:

• Tours are scheduled Monday through Friday, by appointment only.
• Tours last between 30 and 60 minutes depending on the size of your group and the age of the visitors.
• Accommodations can be made for visitors with disabilities, but we kindly ask that you provide us with advance notice.
• All of our vehicles may not be present at the station during your tour as our firefighters respond to calls 24 hours a day.

Sign up for the Premise Alert Program
More information about how to sign up for the Premise Alert Program.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How often should I replace smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors?

Where should I place smoke alarms in my home?

Why do I sometimes see fire trucks and ambulances parked at the grocery store?

What type of fire extinguisher should I buy for my home?

Which hospital will the Fire Department take me to?

Who answers when you dial 9-1-1?

Why do other area fire departments sometimes respond into Mount Prospect?

Why do fire engines follow ambulances on emergency calls?

Why do traffic signals “magically change” when an emergency vehicle approaches?

How do I notify the Fire Department about my disability or special need(s)?  

Does the Fire Department check car seats for proper installation?

Q:     How often should I replace my smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors?
A:     The Fire Department recommends that you replace smoke alarms every 10 years and carbon 
        monoxide detectors every five years.  They also recommend that you change the batteries in all 
        devices every six months.

Q:     Where should I place alarms in my home?
A:     Homeowners should install smoke alarms on every level of their home and outside of all bedrooms or 
        sleeping areas. Smoke alarms should also be installed inside every bedroom or area where people 
        sleep.

Q:     Why do I sometimes see fire trucks and ambulances parked at the grocery store?
A:     Our firefighters/paramedics work a 24-hour shift, which means they cook and eat their meals 
        together when on duty. Since the Village does not provide for meals, each morning firefighters pay 
        into a “kitty,” which they then use to buy groceries for the day. It is important to note that when 
        firefighters/ paramedics go grocery shopping they remain in service and will leave the store 
        immediately to respond to an emergency call.

Q:     What type of fire extinguisher should I buy for my home?
A:     Homeowners should buy an extinguisher that can handle class A-B-C fires. This type of extinguisher is 
        designed to put out fires that usually occur in homes and involve wood, paper, flammable liquids, 
        and/or electrical equipment. We recommend a minimum size of 3A:40BC.

Q:     Which hospital will the Fire Department take me to?
A:     Our ambulances transport patients to four different hospitals: (1) Alexian Brothers Medical Center,
         (2)Glenbrook Hospital, (3) Lutheran General Hospital, and (4) Northwest Community Hospital. Where a 
        patient is transported depends mainly on the type and severity of the illness/injury as well as the 
        location of the incident. Sometimes we are able to transport patients to their hospital of choice, but 
        ultimately it is up to the paramedics and the hospital to decide what is best for each patient.

Q:     Who answers when you dial 9-1-1?
A:     9-1-1 calls in Mount Prospect are answered by a multi-jurisdictional agency called Northwest Central 
        Dispatch (NWCD). NWCD answers 9-1-1 calls for, and is overseen by, eleven communities in the 
        northwest suburbs including Mount Prospect. The NWCD communications center receives the 9-1-1 
        calls and then dispatches the appropriate fire and police units for these municipalities. By having this 
        joint center, communication between surrounding communities, which occurs frequently, is 
        streamlined and much more efficient. NWCD also eliminates significant costs for each of its member 
        communities as they are not required to have their own communications center.

Q:     Why do other area fire departments sometimes respond into Mount Prospect?
A:     Mount Prospect has agreements in place with neighboring fire departments to assist on another, 
        when necessary, in responding to emergency calls. These agreements are called automatic and 
        mutual aid. Mount Prospect may utilize automatic or mutual aid agreements when our local resources 
        are exhausted or we are unable to handle an emergency situation alone. Examples of incidents 
        where automatic and mutual aid are used include large structure fires, local disasters and even 
        emergency medical calls when another department has a closer available ambulance. At the end of 
        the day, our goal is to provide the quickest response to an emergency regardless of where it comes 
        from.

Q:     Why do fire engines follow ambulances on emergency calls?
A:     The answer is quality of care! Mount Prospect has three frontline ambulances, each staffed with two 
        firefighter/paramedics, and three frontline engines/trucks, staffed with three firefighters (at least one 
        being a firefighter/paramedic). Many of the emergency calls the Department responds to require the 
        assistance of more than two firefighter/paramedics, which means the additional hands from those 
        working on the engine/truck are needed. Having both the ambulance and engine/truck respond 
        ensures the best possible care for patients on every call.

Q:     Why do traffic signals “magically change” when an emergency vehicle approaches?
A:     Mount Prospect, like many communities across the country, uses a system at all its traffic signals 
        called Emergency Vehicle Pre-emption or EVP. These devices are controlled by a white strobe light 
        on each Fire Department vehicle, which emits a signal to a receiver on the traffic light as the vehicle 
        approaches the intersection. The traffic signal will change to green in the direction the Fire 
        Department vehicle is traveling and turn red in the opposite direction.            

Flashing White Light on Engine	Solid White Confirmation Light (Traffic Signal)

        A flashing white confirmation light appears above the traffic signal when the system is activated to 
        acknowledge the signal will be changing. A solid white conformation light means and emergency 
        vehicle is approaching from the opposite direction. If you see emergency lights or hear emergency 
        sirens, slow down and pull to the right to allow the emergency vehicle to pass in either direction. 
        Once the vehicle has passed, carefully resume your normal speed. Remember “pull right for sirens for 
        lights.”

Q:     How do I notify the Fire Department about my disability or special need(s)?
A:     In 2009, the State of Illinois passed the Illinois Premise Alert Program Act (96-0788), which aims to 
        ensure that consistently high levels of public safety services are available to all members of the state, 
        including people who may require special consideration in order to access these services. The Premise 
        Alert Program consists of a database of individuals with special needs or disabilities stored in a 
        computer aided dispatch (CAD) database maintained by the Village’s 9-1-1 dispatch agency, 
        Northwest Central Dispatch (NWCD). Entries to the database are made at the request of families, 
        caregivers or individuals with disabilities or special needs and assist both fire and police personnel in 
        accessing information they may need when responding to calls for service. 

        Residents with disabilities or special needs, or their families or caregivers, may register with the 
        Village’s Premise Alert Program by completing the Premise Alert Program Notification forms and 
        forwarding them to the Mount Prospect Police Department's Records Section. Access 
        the Premise Alert Program Notification Forms.

 Q:    Does the Fire Department check car seats for proper installation?
A:    The Fire Department does not have technicians certified to check car seat installations.  Residents 
        that need to have their car seat installations checked should contact the Mount Prospect Police 
        Department at 847/870-5656 to schedule an appointment.