Fire district shows off new firehouse plans

The first ever fire station in the St. Charles Countryside Fire Protection District would be green as much as it is red if voters approve a tax increase on the April ballot.

The facility would be about 8,000 square feet and be situated on roughly two acres of donated land just east of Burlington Road on the west side of the district. The structure would be large enough to contain fire apparatus plus living space for up to five firefighters and emergency medical technicians. The building would be complete with a kitchen, dining area, day room and exercise area, laundry facilities, storage and office space.

A geothermal heating and air conditioning system and other energy saving features would be incorporated in the design to create an environmentally-friendly, "green" building.

The total estimated cost of the building is about $2.5 million, thanks to a $1 million savings in securing donated land.

The idea behind the request to build a firehouse is to reduce response times for fire and medical calls.

The district serves about 6,600 homes within 34 square mile. It responded to nearly 4,150 emergency calls during the past four years.