Pursuant to Section 2.5 of the State Fire Marshal Act (20 ILCS 2905/2.5), the Office of the State Fire Marshal is directed to create and maintain an equipment exchange program under which fire departments, fire protection districts, and township fire departments can donate or sell equipment to, trade equipment with, or buy equipment from each other. This Fire Equipment Exchange Program website allows fire departments, fire protection districts, and township fire departments to post information and photographs about needed equipment and equipment available for trade, donation, or sale using the same login credentials as their PSE Web Portal (illinois.gov) account.
The Office of the State Fire Marshal maintains the Fire Equipment Exchange Program website, but transactions for equipment donated, traded, or sold are between the two parties. While the Office of the State Fire Marshal promotes the equipment exchange program as required by the State Fire Marshal Act, the Office of the State Fire Marshal is not a broker, underwriter, guarantor, or otherwise involved in any transactions that are completed via the equipment exchange program.
The Office of the State Fire Marshal or a fire department, fire protection district, or township fire department that donates, trades, or sells fire protection equipment to another fire department, fire protection district, or township fire department under 20 ILCS 2905/2.5 (ilga.gov) is not liable for any damage or injury caused by the donated, traded, or sold fire protection equipment, except for damage or injury caused by its willful and wanton misconduct, if it discloses in writing to the recipient at the time of the donation, trade, or sale any known damage to or deficiencies in the equipment. Furthermore, use of this equipment exchange program does not relieve any fire department, fire protection district, or township fire department from liability, unless otherwise provided by law, for any damage or injury caused by donated, traded, or sold fire protection equipment that was received through the equipment exchange program.