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Morton Grove’s Fourth of July plans moving forward despite heat
Ethan Larson, 10, of Morton Grove, gets his hair painted red, white and blue by Andy Shimanski before the marching in Morton Grove's Fourth of July Parade on July 4 in Morton Grove. | Jon Durr~For Sun-Times Media
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Updated: July 9, 2012 2:07PM
MORTON GROVE — The Morton Grove Fire Department today (July 3) was making preparations for the July 4 parade and fireworks display, though officials said there were no plans to cancel any events.
Despite temperatures predicted to near-100 today, Fire Chief Tom Friel said the department was not planning to issue any type of heat warning.
In general, he said, Morton Grove will only declare a heat emergency when the Cook County Emergency Management Agency does.
In those cases the village uses its website and emergency phone system to alert residents.
But, he said, as a safety precaution the department does plan to have an extra ambulance on duty today during the parade, scheduled to begin at 2:30 p.m.
“We tend to have a lot of people watching the parade,” he said.
In addition, in preparation for the fireworks display, set for 9:45 p.m. Wednesday at Harrer Park, 6250 Dempster, the Fire Department has been soaking the area near where the fireworks will be set off, in the northwest corner of Harrer Park and in the adjacent woods. Friel said a fire truck watered the area July 2 for about an hour and plans were to continue that.
“We’re going to do it again today and tomorrow,” he said today. Firefighting equipment also will be on duty during the fireworks display, he added.
Friel said that though the village missed the big storm that went through the Chicago area on July 1, the village did receive some rain June 29 and June 30, which also helped relieve the dry conditions.
“We’ve had drier years than this,” Friel said. “We’re full-steam-ahead.”
