The Clarendon Hills village board is considering not replacing our aerial ladder truck (LADDER TRUCK 86) and instead sharing a ladder truck with Hinsdale. In the interest of our resident's public safety, we ask that you sign this petition in support of Clarendon Hills replacing our ladder truck by Sept 18 so that we can present the petition to the board at their Sept meeting.

Here are the reasons why:

1) YOUR TAXES WILL NOT GO UP - since 2002, the Village has been placing funds into the capital budget for the replacement of Ladder 86. The MONEY IS ALREADY THERE AND SET ASIDE for the purchase of the new ladder truck.

2) DELAYED RESPONSE TIME WAITING FOR A LADDER TRUCK TO ARRIVE FROM ANOTHER TOWN.  Do you really want to wait for a ladder truck to arrive from a neighboring town while your house or children's school is burning down and family members/pets are possibly trapped on an upper level?

3) DECREASE OUR PROPERTY VALUES - Hinsdale and Westmont both have their own ladder trucks. Without OUR OWN ladder truck, potential buyers of homes and condos, could deem a purchase here as less desirable.

4) Aerial ladder trucks are not just used on high rise buildings, but also on schools and many new construction homes that are higher in height and have steeper roofs. Since 1986, the housing in Clarendon Hills has changed from ranch and 2-story homes to new construction 2 and 3 story homes with very steep roof slopes. Park Ave Condos was developed with 3,4 and 5 story buildings. Downtown now has a 4 story apartment complex, plus 3 story CHMS. Aerial ladder trucks allow firefighters to move more quickly to each person needing to be rescued at these higher levels.

We are all at risk without having our OWN LADDER TRUCK.