The City Manager and Fire Chief are recommending the postponement of staffing and opening the planned fire station located at 2602 Six Points Road. A combination of the following factors is the reason for this recommendation.

1. Population and call volume in area
   A large residential subdivision that had been anticipated on property near the fire station has not yet materialized. The call volume and response time for the current population and area is being met with the existing facilities and equipment located at #4 Fire Station on Morris Avenue. As growth occurs, we will continue to monitor call volume and run time data to determine if changes in deployment are needed. 
   
2. Infrastructure and responses
   The planned extension of Mitsubishi Motorway from Route 9 south to Six Points Road has yet to become a reality.  Construction of the road still appears to be a few years away. Without completion of this project, the limited road network in the area limits the ability for response to other areas of the City from the Station 5 location. Since many calls for service necessitate multiple units respond, this might impact our ability to provide service to the entire community.
   
3. Economic issues
   With the struggling global economic climate and budgetary constraints within our own community, hiring and training the personnel needed to staff the facility would work against our ongoing efforts to restore financial stability. The estimated initial salary and benefits cost for an additional 9 personnel to staff this station would be about $825,000 the first year. It is anticipated that the savings in utilities could be about $7,500 per year and additional savings in fuel costs for apparatus traveling to and from this location for administrative purposes (such as training) would also occur.

The geographic area that would be served by the Six Points Road station is currently – and will continue to be – adequately served by the existing fire station at 1705 South Morris Avenue. City administrators and staff are studying possible alternative temporary uses for the building at 2602 Six Points Road.  No decisions have been made. The delay in opening Station 5 will not affect the opening of the new Airport fire station (Station 6) at 4040 East Oakland Avenue.  Current personnel will be used to staff that station.  Apparatus housed at other stations will be transferred to the East Oakland Avenue station.

For more information contact:
Michael S. Kimmerling, Fire Chief
Bloomington Fire Department
(309) 434-2500
mkimmerling@cityblm.org

Repsonse Time Maps
The goal of the Bloomington Fire Department is to respond in a quick and efficient manner.  The Fire Department does this as safely as possible to prevent any unnecessary accidents or injuries.  The response times displayed on these maps are based on ideal conditions and normal traffic volume. These times can vary based on many factors, such as inclement weather (snow, ice, rain, etc.), street closings, vehicles not in the station at the time of the call, response urgency or just about anything that could delay a vehicle on any given day. The Fire Department is constantly evaluating call volume in all areas of the city to do our best at meeting the needs of the citizens of our community.

• Fire Runtime Maps(pdf) (332.39 kb)
• 2008 Fire Calls(pdf) (381.35 kb)
• 2008 EMS Calls(pdf) (407.44 kb)
• 2009 Fire Calls(pdf) (379.29 kb)
• 2009 EMS Calls(pdf) (406.42 kb)