Mount Prospect to study police, fire department space needs
Mount Prospect will spend up to $24,000 on a space needs analysis for the police and fire department headquarters, though village officials say the examination will not necessarily lead to a new facility.
Plans for the study, approved by the village board Tuesday, come about two months after trustees and other officials toured the headquarters at 112 E. Northwest Highway and found what they believed were major deficiencies, ranging from cramped work quarters and a lack of privacy to antiquated facilities for evidence processing and training.
The measure approved unanimously this week hires Oak Brook-based FGM Architects to examine the shared headquarters and each department's needs, then prepare a report to be submitted to the village board this summer. FGM previously worked with the village with space needs assessments for Fire Station No. 14, the Emergency Operations Center, and the Public Works Facility additions.
"It's clear from that tour that this study is needed," said Trustee Paul Hoefert, adding that nothing about the headquarters' future has been decided. "This work that FGM is going to do is not being done to lead us to the answer that we want. It's being done to lead us to the right answer."
Police Chief Tim Janowick said FGM will conduct on-site visits as part of the study, spending 24 hours on site with the police department and 6 to 8 hours with the fire department. Employees, including civilian and command personnel, will be interviewed as part of the process.
Mayor Arlene Juracek said it was clear from the December tour that four areas needed to be addressed - privacy, records keeping, evidence processing and security.
"The current facility just doesn't match today's standards at all," she said.
"We need some answers to move forward," Trustee Colleen Saccotelli added. "To have a force that's able to function in the 21st century, we definitely need to make some changes."