08/12/2026
Power Outage & Generator Update
It has come to our attention that questions and comments were made regarding the Fire District’s ability to provide backup power during yesterday’s severe storm.
For clarification, the Bourbonnais Fire Protection District does have a natural gas-powered generator that is designed to provide backup power to the fire station during a power outage.
During yesterday’s storm, the Fire District experienced multiple power surges within a matter of minutes as a result of trees coming into contact with power lines and transformers failing in the area. These repeated surges caused the generator to start and stop numerous times. As a result, the generator’s built-in protection system activated, preventing it from restarting and temporarily leaving the station without power.
Through our strong partnerships with local electricians and ComEd, we were able to troubleshoot and reset the generator, allowing it to resume providing power to the station. ComEd subsequently restored commercial power to the fire station at approximately 8:00 p.m. Yesterday. As of this post, the station is operating on ComEd power.
Unfortunately, the power surges also caused damage to several electrical components and pieces of equipment within the station. We are working with our electrical contractors and other partners to assess the damage and make the necessary repairs.
**Most importantly, at no time yesterday or today did the power issues result in a delay in the Fire District’s response to any emergency.** Our on-duty personnel, along with off-duty personnel who responded back to the station, continued to provide uninterrupted emergency coverage.
Despite the severe weather and power issues, our personnel responded to **more than 35 calls yesterday**, including a task force response to Will County to assist with their storm damage operations.
We want to assure our residents that the Fire District has multiple contingency plans in place to maintain emergency operations during situations such as extended power outages, severe weather, equipment failures, and other unforeseen circumstances.
We appreciate the patience and understanding of our community, as well as the tremendous support we received from our electrical contractors, ComEd, and our neighboring fire and EMS agencies during yesterday’s events.
Chief James R. Keener
Bourbonnais Fire Protection District