Manhattan Fire District Advances New Station Construction, Approves $210,000 Ambulance Replacement

The Manhattan Fire Protection District is moving closer to breaking ground on its new fire station, with construction documents expected to be complete next month and a potential groundbreaking scheduled for June or July.

Chief Steve Malone told the board Monday that water and sewer installation for the new station should begin soon, and all applications have successfully passed both the Village Zoning Board and Village of Manhattan Board reviews. The district’s committee meets weekly with engineers and architects to advance the project.

“Next month we should have a complete set of construction documents and will prepare to go out to bid,” Malone said during the February 17 meeting at Fire Station #81. “A bid opening could be scheduled for mid-April.”

The district is also considering using a construction manager for the project. Attorney John Motylinski noted that more fire districts are moving in that direction for major construction projects.

In addition to the new station construction, the district received a $250,000 grant from the State of Illinois for Station 83 renovation, according to James Howard from Governmental Accounting. Deputy Chief Dave Piper is also working to finalize and submit an application for an additional $350,000 station remodel and construction grant.

The board also approved a $210,000 ambulance replacement after Ambulance 83 was involved in a December traffic accident. The damage assessment determined the vehicle needs a complete chassis remount, with the insurance company covering the full cost.

“The damage has been thoroughly assessed. It has been determined the damage is substantial and Amb 83 is in need of a chassis remount,” according to the meeting minutes. The board unanimously approved the re-chassis project pending final insurance approvals.

The district’s financial position remains stable early in 2025. Howard reported that only 2% of total revenue has been received so far this year, which is typical since no tax revenue will be received until June. However, ambulance revenues for January totaled $101,147, and interest income is performing well.

The average response time across the district is currently 11 minutes, with most of that time attributed to travel rather than dispatch delays, Deputy Chief Piper reported.

Fire prevention activities continue to increase, particularly on the east side of the district where three additional solar projects are in development. The district’s new fire marshal has been in position for two months and is working effectively with both Manhattan and Peotone villages.

The board also received an update that a new Tahoe vehicle ordered last year should arrive within the next few weeks to support district operations.