Grayslake's Third Fire Station Key to Quicker Response Times

Grayslake Fire Department officials got out the golden shovels to break ground on Fire Station No. 3, to be built near Saddlebrook Farms in Grayslake.

Construction of the new 10,600-square-foot station is scheduled to begin in March and be completed by September 2011. The facility will be located at 22405 Peterson Road at Route 60.

Having the new fire station be located in the far southern portion of the district will significantly shorten response times to Saddlebrook Farms, the Lake County Fairgrounds and surrounding subdivisions. Additionally, it will be within five minutes of The Alter Group’s planned Cornerstone mixed-use development.

Location, as the old real estate mantra goes, is everything.

"To have an ambulance on seconds or minutes away will be beneficial to the residents of Saddlebrook Farms," said Grayslake Fire Department Chief John Christian. "The rate of intensity and the amount of damge to property in a fire depends upon response times."

Responding from Fire Station 1 in downtown Grayslake, or Fire Station 2 near the College of Lake County, can be hampered by train crossings and distance.

"Four to six minutes is the standard response time for a fire," Christian said. "We have struggled to meet that in this area. Now, with this station, we can."

The station will be staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week with trained firefighter/paramedics. The department began adding staff in 2010, so personnel will be shifted among the three stations.

“Our District covers a large geographic area, about 25 square miles," said Christian. "In the southwest portion, our response times are elevated and when somebody is not breathing or a structure fire occurs, there can be devastating consequences.”

The third fire station is a response to Grayslake’s growth in recent years, he said in a statement.

Pete Tekampe, a resident of Saddlebrook Farms and an official with the Lake County Fair Association, said the station is a welcome addition.

"All of my neighbors are excited about it," Tekampe said. "When it's right across the street, that's incredible. If you are sitting there waiting for the firefighters or an ambulance to arrive, minutes can feel like hours."

The station was dedicated March 1 before a crowd of firefighter/paramedics, local and county officials and community leaders. Funding for the new station is through a referendum that passed in 2008. The land was purchased from Lake County.

"I thank the entire Lake County Board for their support," said Christian.

"This is one of the most positive things that I've ever been involved with," said Lake County Board Member Diana O'Kelly. "Everybody was working for what's best."

She added that her father, who passed away in December, was a resident of Saddlebrook Farms.

"This is very personal for me," she said.

Daniel Robison Architects, P.C., designed the building which will sit on a 1.7-acre site. Alter Construction Management will lead construction of the facility.

Christian also recognized key supporters of the Grayslake Fire Department overall and the referendum campaign in particular, including Greg Koeppen, executive director of the Lake County Farm Bureau; Bob and Mary Higgins; and Pam Navarre.

The new station is dedicated to Lester Stang, a founding fire commissioner who has served since 1976. Check back to Grayslake Patch tomorrow for a profile on Stang.