May 24
Several long overdue updates to various department pages have been completed as follows:
thanks Karl, Hank, Jim, Nick, Larry, Drew, and Jeff
Apr 13
Hank Sajovic submitted an image of Joliet’s new Station 3.
Joliet Station 3 at 450 Laraway Road. Hank Sajovic photo
Mar 21
Tom Clifton informed us of the following:
The new Joliet station 3 off Laraway Rd. on the Chicagoland Speedway property is in service. The Captain of Comapny 3 officially put the old station out of service at approx 07:15 this morning as they made their move.
A previous post HERE shows a drawing of the new station.
The Herald News has an article HERE which includes:
Fire Chief Joe Formhals and Mayor Tom Giarrante uncoupled [a hose] Monday afternoon at a ceremony to dedicate Fire Station 3.
On Wednedsay morning the new facility, which is on the Chicagoland Speedway property off Laraway Road, will replace the 40-year-old station at 319 Grover St.
FEMA sponsored approximately $1.2 million and Centerpoint Properties, which will be serviced by Station 3, donated $100,000 for construction on the land donated by the racetrack.
The Joliet Fire Department is in the construction phase of a new station for Station 3.
Joliet Fire Station 3 at 319 Grove Road will be replaced when the new building is completed. Karl Klotz photo
The $1.6 million station — $1.1 million of which is from a federal grant – broke ground this winter on Laraway Road. When completed, it will replace the station at 319 Grove St.
The article is written around the fact that there are no women currently on the job in Joliet and that the new station will be one of three in the city with separate facilities to accommodate women on the job,
Rendering of the new station being built in Joliet for Station 3.
Joliet’s new Fire Station No. 3 will have something that the current station does not – separate locker room and bathrooms for women.
Joliet has never had any female firefighters, but Fire Chief Joe Formhals said that streak is not likely to last long.
“We’re going to get a woman on, it’s just a matter of when,” Formhals said. “You have to anticipate that. I don’t think we’re going to get 50 women all at once, but it will add a new dimension.”
Currently, about 200 people are on Joliet’s eligibility list and only four or five are women, Formhals said. When there is an opening, the department starts with candidates at the top of the list.
Formhals said the city hasn’t updated its eligibility list in years due to a virtual hiring freeze, but he hopes to create a new eligibility list and budget for new hires in 2012. More woman firefighter candidates could be picked up by requiring a paramedic certificate, Formhals said, adding the number of women in paramedic training programs are steadily increasing.
The complete article can be found HERE.
Thanks to Dennis McGuire, Jr. for spotting the article.
For the finest department portraits and composites contact Tim Olk or Larry Shapiro.
