The Manhattan Fire Protection District has settled into its new Fire Station 81 on VanderBoegh Court and all operations have completely moved over to the new station.
The Manhattan Fire District sold Station 81 on Park Street to the Manhattan Park District in 2023, and the fire district had been leasing it back while their new fire station was being built. Now that construction is complete and the fire district has moved out, the park district has moved in.
The park district is currently renovating the building, now called “The Station at Central Park,” for future use. The park district intends to move its before- and after-school care program, The Den, to the Station at Central Park, along with administrative offices. They will also have a rental space at the new building. The parks maintenance fleet will now be stored in the climate-controlled garage where the fire district previously stored its apparatus.
The Hansen Community Center, which previously housed The Den and the administrative offices, will house the recreation department and serve as a program and rental space.
The district chose the new Fire Station’s location based on call volume reports it collected and analyzed. Those reports showed higher call volumes in the northern part of the district. Officials explained the station there will better serve the entire district’s residents. With the new developments in the northern part of the district, call volumes are higher there. The new location provides a more equitable response, improving overall response times for the district.
The district funded the new station through a bond and is paying it back through collected tax revenue, though it hasn’t needed to raise the tax rate. Because of increased residential and commercial growth, the district analyzed its finances and determined it could repay the bond without increasing the rate.
The district held its first board of trustees meeting on Sept. 21 with all board members present. District Treasurer James Howard provided the district’s eight-month financial report with a detailed breakdown, and Howard reported the district’s financials in good shape.
The district was working on planning an open house for the new station but had not yet set a date and time.
Perhaps the biggest news of the meeting was the board’s approval of three full-time battalion chief positions, which would be extended to lieutenants Jon Christiansen, Dan Gulli, and Ed Ludwig. The board of commissioners had approved those individuals at its meeting last month.
Creating these positions allows a full-time chief to be on each of the three shifts. At a promotional ceremony, the battalion chiefs will be officially promoted, along with other staff moving into the lieutenant positions and the swearing-in of additional staff.
“This drives our organizational growth and is part of our succession plan,” Battalion Chief Bruce Boyle said.
Boyle will remain as a battalion chief within the district; his position is part time. He will help the new battalion chiefs acclimate to their roles and responsibilities. The battalion chiefs will be primarily stationed out of Station 83. The new station has a battalion chief office, which may be used if staffing needs arise in Manhattan, such as during Irish Fest.
Deputy Chief Dave Piper provided the operations report, noting stable staffing and a large percentage of back-to-back calls at 28 percent.
The district again had its command van at the Will County Fair, and the first aid tent addressed 37 incidents, with 12 requiring an ambulance. Both Deputy Chief Piper and Chief Steve Malone underscored the importance of having the tent at the fair, with the numbers showing the need.
During the fair, the district responded to 61 calls for service, indicating a particularly busy stretch.
Fire Marshal Dave Kolosh is continuing to work with solar companies interested in the area and sprinkler systems in new developments. Public Information Officer and Fire and Life Safety Educator Jackie Palkovitz continues to work with the community.