Message From Chief

The first half of 2022 has proven to be very busy and exciting for the Bergheim Volunteer Fire Department. So far this year, the department has responded to 334 incidents! That’s Crazy busy and at this pace will put us well over 500 calls by the end of the year! This represents a 39.75% increase over what we saw in 2021 for that same time period. (239 calls from Jan-Jul 2021) Your Bergheim VFD currently has 24 volunteers, but only 7 of these live within the Bergheim Fire District. While those outside the district make calls as often as possible, we rely heavily on the handful who live the closest to the station. As you can imagine, this is not sustainable long term. Consider this my appeal for new volunteers; who’s interested? Although prior experience is great, we will find a role for just about anyone. If you have some time and the desire to serve your community, we will provide you with the gear and the training to bring you up to speed fast! Please follow this link for membership Information and to schedule a call or meeting with one of the command staff or board members. info@bergheimvfd.org. The fire department has noted a significant increase in wildfire responses. In 2022 we responded to 33 wildfires, with 9 being mutual aid responses. As you may have noticed, the current drought the area is experiencing makes for dry fuel (grass, brush, and trees). Please be cautious and refrain from outdoor burning of any kind. Your neighbors thank you, and your Fire Department thanks you! The Kendall County Burn Ban is posted both on our website and the Kendall County site; and will be updated if or when conditions change. Lastly, the Kendall County Commissioners Court has approved our request to allow the residents of our district to vote on a measure to create an Emergency Services District to cover the Bergheim area. The process that led us to this request has been a lengthy one that began approximately two years ago when we noticed our call volumes increasing, as well as regular changes in our volunteer personnel. This November 8, 2022, the voters will decide if the Bergheim Volunteer Fire Department will become Kendall County Emergency Services District No. 1. The creation of this Emergency Services District would provide a sustainable and permanent funding source to provide emergency services to our community that currently relies on donations and intermittent funding from the county. Not only would this support our amazing volunteers, but it would also allow us to hire two paid firefighters to staff the station at times when our volunteers are the least likely to be able to respond. With the explosive growth in call volume we have seen in the recent past and expect to continue, my team of volunteers wants to ensure the continued great service the Bergheim community expects and deserves no matter when a call comes in. This was a difficult decision and one the VFD board, county commissioners and I did not take lightly, but I believe it’s the best course of action for this community. I am more than happy to discuss this with anyone who has questions. Over the next few months, we look forward to talking with and educating our residents about this issue through a series of open house events held at the station. We would also welcome any invitation to speak to any group you may be a part of or community gatherings you may want us to attend. Please submit requests via email to Info@bergheimvfd.org so that we can get them on our calendar. 
I look forward to meeting with you soon! Stay safe, everyone.