Ottawa fire, ambulance station makes U.S. Rep. Underwood’s requests for federal funding

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.

Community Project Funding is an initiative that allows Congress members to request direct funding for projects that benefit the communities they represent, coupled with strict transparency and ethics requirements, Underwood said in a news release.

This additional fire station is needed for the city to improve emergency response times, better protect and care for their residents, and allow the area’s growing economic development to continue safely.

—  U.S. Rep. Lauren Underwood's proposal for a fire, ambulance station in Ottawa

Projects are restricted to a limited number of federal funding streams, and only state and local governments and eligible non-profit entities are permitted to receive funding.

The proposed funding for Ottawa would be used to construct a new fire and ambulance station in northern Ottawa, where residents and businesses are experiencing slow emergency response times – a concern raised by first responders after the sudden closure of St. Margaret’s Health - Peru hospital.

“This additional fire station is needed for the city to improve emergency response times, better protect and care for their residents, and allow the area’s growing economic development to continue safely,” Underwood said in her proposal.

“I have always made it a priority to bring the voices of the 14th District to Congress, and I’m working hard to make sure that our community’s needs are reflected in federal funding bills,” Underwood said in the news release. “From addressing health care access in Ottawa and Peru to investing in semiconductor research, these projects will directly benefit families in northern Illinois, and I look forward to working with my colleagues to bring these federal dollars home.”