I won't post the whole thing here, but you can read on if you'd like:
http://www.dailyherald.com/news/dupa....asp?id=141207
Town calls law O’Hare revenge
Move blocks Bensenville’s police-fire cross-training
By Justin Kmitch
Daily Herald Staff Writer
Posted Tuesday, January 10, 2006
With one stroke of the pen, Bensenville officials say, Gov. Rod Blagojevich destroyed a nearly $1 million public safety program they’ve worked four years to perfect.
The program, which cross-trained police officers as firefighters and emergency medical technicians, was deemed illegal by legislation signed into law by Blagojevich late Friday.
The law makes it illegal in non-home-rule towns such as Bensenville for police officers to perform firefighters’ duties and vice versa.
Village Manager and Interim Public Safety Director Jim Johnson said all firefighting gear was immediately removed from the police vehicles and officers ordered not to respond to emergencies as firefighters.
All 32 trained public safety officers also were immediately stripped of their raises, some as high as 12 percent, depending on their level of training.
Johnson said the bill was aimed at hurting Bensenville because of the village leadership’s opposition to expansion of O’Hare International Airport.
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