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​What additional lifesaving equipment would be funded by this proposal?
While the District has a thorough maintenance and repair program, equipment and facilities wear out and need repair or replacement. In addition to the new fire station, this proposal would provide funding to replace aging equipment including: 
  • Cardiac monitors — the model the District uses now is old and being decertified by the Food and Drug Administration. One of four no longer works.
  • Trucks that are approaching or have exceeded their expected lifespan.
  • Aging firefighter turnout gear will be due for replacement in the coming years. Bunker pants and coats alone cost more than $2,000 per firefighter. 
  • The District’s Jaws of Life (extrication tools) are 22 years old and tethered to the trucks by hydraulic lines. Updated cordless tools are designed to be compatible with modern vehicle construction, which enables faster extrications. Today’s cordless options can also assist in areas where the fire trucks cannot go. 
By addressing these challenges now, the District will save money in the long run and ensure our firefighters have the equipment, training and facilities needed to keep our community safe. 

​Where will the new station be built?

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​The new station would be built at 3023 Godfrey Rd. (the Hi-Way House property). We have an agreement with the Village to acquire this site for our new station if our bond proposal is successful.

This site is shovel ready, which saves significant money in construction costs. There is ample room to construct a fire station providing the needed space for up-to-date apparatus and supplies, the facilities required for around-the-clock use by our firefighters, and needed room for growth to meet the ever-increasing demand for emergency services. 

This centrally located site provides easier access to our community. At present, when both stations must respond to emergency calls, the second truck arrives 4 to 5 minutes after the first since it must travel across town. By being centrally located in a single station, both trucks should arrive simultaneously, providing more personnel to address the emergency. 

While there will be a slight increase in fire department response times to some parts of our District, this will not change the response time of the ambulance companies. In emergencies requiring two engine responses, we will have more firefighters on the scene faster than with our current two station configuration.  

What are the advantages of a new fire station?
In addition to significant long term cost savings from operating out of a single new and efficient to maintain building, a new station provides immediate access to Godfrey Road close to Martin Luther King Drive (Il 67), space for training programs, modern drive-thru bays for trucks and other apparatus, and proper space for medical and other supplies. Plus, there is room to grow if ever that is needed.

​Will there be any disruption in service?
​No. That is one of the most important advantages of this plan. While the new station is being built, we will continue to use our two existing stations until it’s ready for use. Then we simply move in with no disruption in service. That’s a huge advantage when compared to the renovation or construction of stations at their current site. 

Both of our current stations are overcrowded as it is, so there is not enough space to store equipment from both stations while work is being done on one of them. Continuing to provide high-quality emergency services while this work was being done is expensive and complex. There is simply no easy way to address this challenge.

What will happen to the old stations?
​The District has an agreement with the Village to trade our two existing stations for the property on Godfrey Road, where the new station will be located. The Village plans on using one station for its own purposes. The other will be auctioned. This is a win-win-win for the Village, our District and our residents.