Excerpts from the Journal-Topics.com:
A recent study by the Illinois Fire Chiefs Association recommends that Mount Prospect Fire Station 13 move to 111 E. Rand Road, which is still occupied. The study from 2014-17 showed that some areas in town see fire response times exceed the four-minute goal and the fire department as a whole responds to calls within 4 minutes and 35 seconds approximately 90 percent of the time; 3 minutes and 42 seconds approximately 80 percent of the time; and 3 minutes approximately 70 percent of the time.
Should Station 13 move, the area that Station 12 at Golf and Busse roads serves would become larger. In contrast, Station 14 on Kensington Road just west of River Road would serve a smaller area since the new station would take over a portion of 14’s district.
If Station 13 moves to the bank site, the study states the department would respond to all calls throughout the village at 3 minutes and 33 seconds approximately 90 percent of the time; 3 minutes and 6 seconds approximately 80 percent of the time; and 2 minutes and 48 seconds approximately 70 percent of the time.
Station 12 would see response times increase by 8-15 seconds on average, but still be under 4 minutes overall. Station 13 would see response times decrease by an average of 3 to 42 seconds and be under 4 minutes. Station 14, which sometimes sees response times over 5 minutes, would also see a decrease in response times by an average of 59 seconds to as high as 1 minute and 24 seconds, and most times all under 4 minutes.
Firefighters and paramedics should then be able to arrive to all scenes in under four minutes almost every time. Response times throughout the community will decrease by approximately one minute.
Negotiations to purchase the bank site are expected soon. The village board could approve a bond ordinance to purchase the land at the board’s April 17 meeting.
