St. Charles unveils new firehouse downtown

Just nine months after borrowing the money to build it, St. Charles officials ushered in a new era of emergency services to the city by dedicating a new firehouse downtown.

The bagpipes began to warm up a full hour before the actual ceremony began. The three bay doors stood open, looking onto First Street and across at the location that served as the home of Fire Station One. The old firehouse was a refurbished lumber shed with dimensions too outdated to accommodate modern firefighting equipment. Now a new parking lot exists where the old firehouse stood, looking out over the Fox River behind city hall.

That's perhaps fitting as the $14.5 million in bonds the city issued last December is funding both the new firehouse and the reconstruction of a wall that provides a barrier between city hall and the Fox River. The firehouse itself came in under its $5.7 million budget. The river work is still under way, but the shiny fire engine and fire truck that will call the new firehouse home stood at the ready and on public display for a healthy crowd of area residents and current and former firefighters who came to celebrate the dedication of the new house Thursday.

"I think perhaps there is no greater representation of stewardship of man to fellow man than a firehouse," Fire Chief Patrick Mullen said. "When people see a firehouse they intuitively know this is a place where they can receive help without reservation."

Mayor Don DeWitte said he expects the new station will be a fixture in the downtown for the next 50 years. DeWitte also took a moment to reflect on the process behind the construction of the new firehouse. It was a process that, for a time, featured some political tension when the fire union backed DeWitte's opponent in the mayoral race. The race was under way at the same time as the costs and features of the firehouse, and the need for a firefighter wage freeze to balance the budget, were debated by DeWitte and the city council. Despite that, DeWitte said he kept the need for a new firehouse in perspective.

"Make no mistake that this administration is committed to ensuring the men and women of this fire department are well-equipped, well-trained and well-prepared."