Springfield neighbors, leaders weigh in on new Station 13 location

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) - In an emergency, every second matters. That's why the Springfield Fire Department is moving Station 13 to the far southwest side of the city, to serve the growing population in that area.

"In our business, timing is everything. Especially (because) we run a lot of medical calls, those medical calls, especially when you're talking about heart attacks, strokes - seconds count, minutes definitely count," Springfield Fire Chief Brandon Blough told WAND News.

The size of a fire doubles about every minute, so when life and property are at risk, timing is everything.

"If we can get to the point where instead of it taking seven minutes, it only takes 3 and a half for us to get there, that can make a huge different in some of the medical things," Blough added.

This is why neighbors like Vincent Zummo are thrilled about Station 13 moving down the street from his home.

"That's going to be wonderful because of the response time. And the area around the west-southwest of Springfield has really grown," Zummo explained.

But Alderman Roy Williams Jr. worries the new placement is coming at a cost to his ward.

"They're aware there's no school out there, there's no roads out there. My job is to make sure my ward doesn't suffer for their choices to just go way out," the Ward 3 alderman explained.

Williams said the east end is now feeling vulnerable, with many older homes closely packed together. That's a situation where fires can easily spread.

"We're in an old section of town; our homes are older and I think our needs are greater," Williams said.

But the west side and Panther Creek areas have seen major development over the past 10 years. The Springfield Fire Department said the new Station 13 will ensure better coverage for new neighborhoods.

"The fire department will do justice for the west end of town here, but also the tax base here is huge," Zummo said.

A new fire station is coming to the Ward 3 area, but environmental studies have delayed construction. Blough said Station 6 is still a top priority, even if another station breaks ground first.

Four total new fire stations will be built using federal COVID-19 dollars that were allocated to the city of Springfield.