For people unaccustomed to the municipal methods of Rosemont, the sight of a firefighter writing a parking ticket might seem a bit curious.
But in the convention-friendly village of about 4,000 people, public-safety officers have worn three hats alternatively–police officer, firefighter and emergency medical technician–for nearly 23 years.
In January, veteran officer Kieran Mackey finished his two-year stint in the firehouse and moved back to the police station, where he will stay–as a police officer–until January 2000.
“I don’t mind it. A lot of guys feel more comfortable doing one or the other. For family life, it’s a big change,” said Mackey, a married father of five.
Mackey joined the Rosemont force 10 years ago after spending the previous decade on the Schiller Park Fire Department. After completing the state-required training, Mackey was able to function as a public-safety officer.
“Personally, public safety was a very attractive thing,” he said.
Rosemont switched to the public-safety officer system in 1975, its officials feeling that system would provide better protection for residents and the thousands of visitors a year to trade shows and entertainment venues in the village, said Lt. Joe Peterson.
In addition to the 66 full-time public-safety officers, there are about 400 part-time members of an auxiliary force, which helps with crowd and traffic control during events at the Rosemont Horizon, Rosemont Theatre and other local venues.
During their two-year assignments, the officers normally stick to the duties of a particular department, so a police officer would not be called to battle a blaze.
But a person on police detail who is first at a fire scene would be able to recognize potential dangers and secure the area accordingly, Peterson said.
And a firefighter could deal with cars parked illegally at a blaze or enforce other laws when police officers are not around.
“We’ve had people tell us, `You can’t arrest me, you’re a firefighter,’ ” Peterson said. “And then we tell them, `Well, guess what, genius? We can.’ “
