McHenry County's First Green Fire Station to Open

A rusted steel joist, twisted, compressed and mangled from the destruction it endured when World Trade Center Tower One collapsed on Sept. 11, 2001, is one distinct element of Fire Station Four in Algonquin.

The facility, still under construction, is part of the Huntley Fire Protection District and will open to the public July 1, according to Deputy Chief Kenneth Caudle.

“We were very fortunate to be able to have a piece of history from 9/11,” said Caudle, noting that the artifact, several feet in length, was delivered Sept. 10, 2010, just one day before the department broke ground on the new station. The joist hangs on the wall in the entryway of the station, near Algonquin and Square Barn roads.

Aside from the historic feature, Fire Station Four is also distinct in its eco-friendly elements, Caudle said.

“This is the first green fire station in McHenry County and the first green building in the village of Algonquin,” said Caudle, who has worked at each of the stations in the district during his 24 years with the fire department.

It has maintenance-free landscaping that will require minimal if any irrigation.

“The plants are all native to Illinois, so they won’t need to be watered,” Caudle said. Also, a bike rack, shaped like a fire engine, is available at the main door. “That’s to encourage people to bike here instead of driving, and we also have special parking spaces for carpooling and flex-fuel vehicles.”

The interior of the station also offers green advantages and more than a dozen signs note the features.

“Normally in an inside office, you don’t get any sunlight, so people get depressed, but we have windows in the inside walls to let in the light,” said Caudle. The windows let light in but also have a temperature control filter so the building’s climate stays comfortable, he said.

A fitness center, TV lounge with leather recliners, separate bunks with soundproof walls, and a kitchen with three refrigerators, a dining table for eight, and one stove, add to the comforts of home for the firefighters, who work 24-hour shifts.

“All our appliances are compliant with energy-efficiency standards, too,” said Caudle.

Three firefighters per shift will be scheduled when the station opens July 1. That number will increase to five based on population growth and call volume, Caudle said.

From a financial perspective, the station was practical too, he added.

“It was budgeted at $3 million and we are currently under budget and on schedule,” he said. “It was built with donor funds and developer fees, which means that when developers build homes they add a fee in to the cost of the home, and that is dedicated to the” fire protection district.

That measure relieves the district from having to go for a tax referendum, he said.

A dedication ceremony is planned for Sept. 11 at the station.