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Zion, Winter Harbor and Beach Park approve intergovernmental agreement for Lake rescue watercraft
Summary
At its June 17 meeting the Zion City Council approved an intergovernmental agreement with the Village of Winter Harbor and the Beach Park Fire Protection District to jointly operate two personal watercraft for Lake Michigan emergency response, fund maintenance and staff a rescue-swimmer program.
At its June 17 meeting the Zion City Council approved an intergovernmental agreement with the Village of Winter Harbor and the Beach Park Fire Protection District to jointly operate two personal watercraft for Lake Michigan emergency response.
The agreement, presented by the Zion fire chief, authorizes the three jurisdictions to jointly purchase and maintain two Yamaha personal watercraft and to operate a rescue-swimmer program. The chief told the council the purchase and the plan are covered by the Foreign Fire Tax Board and will have no impact on the city’s finances. Title, registration and insurance for the two units will be held by the Village of Winter Harbor and the Beach Park Fire Protection District (one unit each); the city agreed to assist with staffing and share maintenance costs as needed.
Why it matters: The IGA is intended to speed response to lake incidents on busy summer weekends by establishing shared ownership, trained rescue swimmers and cross-jurisdiction staffing. The chief said a recent water incident illustrated the need for coordinated, fast response and noted the joint response went smoothly.
Officials described the units as Yamaha DX Cruiser models. The chief said the units are not yet in the water but expected to be operational within weeks. Legal staff from all three organizations reviewed and approved the agreement, the chief told the council.
The council voted to approve the IGA. Motion by Commissioner McDonough, second by Commissioner Frierson. During roll call commissioners recorded aye votes and the mayor announced the motion carried 5–0.
The agreement allows the three agencies to jointly staff and maintain the watercraft, operate a rescue-swimmer program and place a small craft on the lake during busy weekends. The chief said the full video of the recent incident is available for council review and that the contact-to-custody sequence in that event lasted about 30 seconds, underscoring the need for fast on-water response.
