Why Des Plaines might get a fourth fire station

Des Plaines would get a fourth fire station under a $16.5 million plan touted by Chief Matt Matzl.

An existing station would be demolished and replaced, too.

Matzl publicly unveiled the proposal during Monday’s city council meeting. The plan was informally supported by council members, so planning will move forward.

Calls increasing

Des Plaines has three fire stations: Station No. 61 at 405 S. River Road, on the city’s east side; Station No. 62 at 1313 E. Oakton St., on the city’s south side; and station No. 63 at 130 E. Thacker St., on the city’s west side.

New facilities are needed, Matzl said, because the number of calls the department handles is increasing. The annual total has jumped 28% since 2019, Matzl told the council, and the number of calls this year is on track to surpass last year’s total.

“With continued development, including downtown expansion, we don’t expect demand to slow down,” Matzl said.

The increase in calls has exceeded the city’s growth rate. While Des Plaines’ population increased about 4% between the 2010 and 2020 censuses, it dropped about 3% between 2020 and 2024, U.S. Census Bureau data indicates.

Two options

Matzl presented two proposals to the council Monday.

Both called for the replacement of Station No. 62, a one-story firehouse with two vehicle bays that was built in 1955 and is the oldest of the city’s stations. City officials have talked about replacing it for years, even buying land for a new firehouse in different locations before abandoning those options.

Matzl’s first plan envisioned a much larger Station No. 62 but not a fourth firehouse. Sticking with three firehouses wouldn’t reduce response times, he said.

Matzl’s preferred plan called for the construction of a two-story Station No. 62 that would have two vehicle bays. Additionally, a new firehouse — to be called Station No. 64 — would be built on city-owned land at 877 Central Road, on the city’s north side.

Like the proposed new Station No. 62, the new firehouse would be a two-story building with two vehicle bays, Matzl said. It also would house the department’s administrative staff, which has been based at city hall since 2022.

Station No. 64 primarily would serve Des Plaines’ northeast side. It would ensure faster, more reliable service to an area that experiences longer-than-desired emergency response times now, Matzl said.

The idea of a Central Road fire station isn’t new. Officials proposed building a fourth station there in 2008 but didn’t move forward with the concept.

‘Long-term agility’

Matzl also recommended increasing the department staff by three firefighters and purchasing an additional ambulance for the fleet. Those additions would give each station an ambulance and a full fire company, Matzl said.

“It positions the department for long-term agility and balance,” he said.

Construction could be done in stages, Matzl said, starting with Station No. 62 in 2026. The following year, firefighters would move into the new station and construction would begin on Station No. 64, with a 2028 completion date planned, he said.

Eighth Ward Alderman Mike Charewicz suggested leaving room at both sites for future expansion.

The construction projects would be funded with cash reserves. Adding three firefighters to the staff would cost about $456,000 the first year, city spokesperson Brad Goodman wrote in an email.

The council will discuss the facility and staffing plans during future budget talks, City Manager Dorothy Wisniewski said.