Dayton Road proposed as ideal for 3rd Ottawa fire station

The ideal location for a third fire station in Ottawa is along Dayton Road, east of Route 23, according to a study shared Thursday with the Ottawa City Council.

In June, the Ottawa City Council authorized the Illinois Fire Chiefs Association to analyze the city and find the best possible location for a third fire station.

City officials said the next step will be to meet with architects to discuss the size of the station and the number of personnel needed, among other details.

The city has not yet acquired any property.

“We have every intention of moving forward,” Mayor Robb Hasty said. “We need to figure out where to build before we looked into how to build. This checks that box.”

East Etna Road was suggested as another location the study showed would be ideal.

The 500 to 900 block of Dayton Road was preferred, however, because of its first arrival time to Interstate 80/Route 23 commercial corridor, its two points of access to the area south of Interstate 80 and east of Route 23 via East 18th Road, limited residential areas to traverse to higher call volumes, its flexibility to provide for a training area at the fire station that does not affect residential properties with noise or other distractions, multiple signalized intersections providing a reduction in travel risk, and the position it puts the city in for future coverage area should annexations occur north of Interstate 80 in any direction.

The study looked at Ottawa’s call volume, breaking it down into the most frequent areas for calls. The study then tried to position the third station within a four-minute response time of the highest percentage of those frequent call areas.

Adding a station at Dayton Road would give the city 88% coverage of all incidents within that four-minute response time, while a station at East Etna Road would give the city 94% coverage of all incidents within that four-minute target.

The city already has fire stations at 301 W. Lafayette St., near the downtown area, and 1301 State St., on the city’s south side. The two stations provide 87% coverage of all incidents within the four-minute target response time.

When asked about a rural community of 18,754 needing a third station and how unique that is, consultants David Slivinski and Dan Anderson pointed to Ottawa’s natural barriers.

The Illinois River provides one access point from north to south, and the city’s two railroad lines provide another barrier. Increased call volumes, the city’s square mileage and projected growth to the city’s north and east also were cited as reasons to need a third station.

Fire Chief Brian Bressner said he would like to see Ottawa meet the 90% coverage benchmark within a four-minute response time, especially on the city’s north side. He said that an added station would improve insurance premiums for businesses along Interstate 80 and north of the interstate, where growth is expected to occur, as well as stimulate growth.

Bressner said he is hopeful the city will be able to go through the planning process in 2024 of a new station and begin construction in 2025. The city has increased its staffing to 36 from 27 as of Jan. 10, Commissioner Tom Ganiere said.

In April, U.S. Rep. Lauren Underwood, D-Naperville, announced projects in the 14th Congressional District submitted for consideration of funding in the 2024 budget, including a $1.5 million proposal for Ottawa to build a new fire and ambulance station.

Thursday’s town hall meeting was attended by about 30 to 40 people, with the majority being firefighters.