On December 5, members of the Plan Commission approved Site and Operational Plans to construct Fire Station #3. The project will move to the Village Board for contract approval in January 2023. The proposed plans place the new station at the northeast corner of State Trunk Highway 165 (STH 165) and Terwall Terrace in Prairie Springs Park at 10165 Terwall Terrace.
Planning for Fire Station #3 began in 1999, and in 2019 a fire study was completed by McGrath, which confirmed the need for a third fire station in Prairie Springs Park. The Village's Insurance Services Office (ISO) rating is a significant driver in developing Fire Station #3. The Village's ISO deployment analysis segment of the overall report in 2015 and 2020 scored the Village at 2.74 and 3.76 out of 10 points. ISO evaluates the deployment or locations of fire stations in each community.
"Fire Station #3 will become the new headquarters for the Fire & Rescue Department and support Stations #1 and #2 by aiding in responses to concurrent calls for service," stated Fire & Rescue Chief Craig Roepke. "The new station will place the department's critical infrastructure in a location that will enhance the overall Village emergency plan, providing appropriate response times and proper coverage distances to the Village's southern and western areas."
Fire Station #3 will be approximately 21,350 square feet, comprised of offices, eight dorm rooms, a drive-thru four-door apparatus bay, a day room, and a training or conference room. The design of the building will be similar to Fire Station #1 at 3801 Springbrook Road. The building will include stone, brick, architectural panels, and standing seam metal roofing. The facility is moving toward sustainability and will incorporate green building components, including a solar panel system on the roof that will offset the facility’s electrical charges. There will be 112 outside parking spaces that include two handicapped-accessible parking spaces.
Additionally, the Village is working with the Wisconsin Department of Transportation to install lighted advanced warning signs to alert travelers on STH 165 when a fire apparatus is entering the roadway. A new stormwater retention facility and a municipal sanitary sewer extension will be associated with the new Fire Station #3 development. The station intends to house eight full-time employees with a minimum of three employees per shift. The largest shift would have a maximum of ten employees, including administrative staff consisting of the Fire Chief, Assistant Fire Chief, Fire Prevention Officer, and Administrative Secretary. Construction is proposed to start in the spring of 2023 and be completed in 2024.