Excerpts from MySuburbanLife.com:
Fire trucks began to arrive Monday morning at the Elburn and Countryside Fire Protection District’s new station on Route 38 in Elburn.
After 14 months of construction and years of planning, the new station, which sits east of Route 47, on the north side of Route 38, was bustling with activity Monday, its first day of operation. Assistant Fire Chief Tate Haley has been overseeing the project and he highlighted some of the features of the new station.The station is much larger than the previous station at 210 E. North St. in Elburn. The district covers areas beyond Elburn, including the Mill Creek subdivision, and Elburn’s population is expected to rise as building begins in the Elburn station area.
Funds for the station had been covered by the department, and no additional public funding was required. Original cost estimates were between $8 million and $10 million, and Haley said the station came in at close to $10 million.
… an open house is in the works for Dec. 13 so residents will have a chance to see the new features. Visitors also will notice more displays and areas open for public education. Haley said such items previously would be kept in boxes most of the year and taken out for special occasions, such as the annual Christmas Stroll.
The station has three levels. On the middle level, which is the main level, there are offices, boardrooms, training areas and a kitchen. Downstairs, is a fitness room. Previously, firefighters wanting to use a fitness room would use one in a different building that once housed ambulances.
The downstairs area also includes an emergency operations center and a large boardroom area that can be used for training. There will be a museum of sorts with an old wheel that had been on display at the old station for years, but some people never realized it.
Upstairs, there are 15 bunks, a large multipurpose room and a patio. Instead of a fire pole, firefighters can go from the second-floor residence area to the apparatus bay using a slide. There is also a training tower, which also can be used to dry hoses and can be used for training for rescues and confined spaces.
