Foundation Raising Funds For New Firehouse
The Mt. Morris Fire Foundation, NFP has recently undertaken a very important project that will enable the fire district to better serve the residents, businesses, and visitors to our community. It also allows the fire district to ensure the safety and well being of our employees while at the firehouse.
We are currently raising funds to support the construction of a new firehouse, without raising real estate taxes.
The current firehouse was built when Calvin Coolidge was President, TV hadn’t been invented, and it was nearly 50 years before our country landed a man on the moon. The building was built as a car dealership and service station when Model T’s filled the streets. The firehouse has served its useful life. It's not compliant with current building codes or Department of Labor standards. The District has modified it over the years to make it functional, although not ideal, it has worked. Low ceilings, narrow overhead doors, porous brick, close proximity to the street, and countless other issues are constraining the District in it's ability to service the community.
The District has had the building assessed by an outside engineering firm and have reviewed several options. Reworking or modifying the existing firehouse is operationally, logistically, and financially not feasible. Simply put, it doesn’t make good sense to keep putting money in an outdated century old building. After the review, the most prudent, cost-effective way to move the District forward is to replace the firehouse with a new building.
In 2020, the District replaced its 25-year-old fire engine. Due to the constraints of the building we had to order a custom vehicle, specifically built to fit into our lower door heights. This, along with the ever-rising building costs, spurred the District to move forward with its capital plan to replace the existing building. Building a new firehouse would address the inadequacies the present facility poses with significant health and safety risks to the on-site staff. The District’s commitment to our life-saving work has not wavered and the staff continues to serve the community despite the indisputably difficult and unsafe environment from which they operate. The new firehouse will allow us to operate in a safe and responsive manner into the foreseeable future.
The cost of the new firehouse reflects fiscal prudence and in-line with similar sized communities in northwest Illinois. It will be a modest, sensible structure keeping with the aesthetics of the downtown. It will afford the District much needed space with a little room for growth. It is designed to address the inefficiencies of the current building and provide a modern safe environment for our staff.
Initial projected costs are $4.5 million dollars. We are not seeking to increase taxes in any way. The District is working diligently to secure financing for this much needed project. We are pursuing Local, State & Federal Grants, Local, State & Federal low interest loans and charitable donations.
The foundation has a goal of obtaining $2 million dollars in contributions. Yes, the goal seems insurmountable, but we know the community will step up. Historically you have always supported our mission. Our staff invests thousands of hours annually in training and responding to alarms, hopefully you’ll be willing to invest in them. Any size donation will help!
We are currently raising funds to support the construction of a new firehouse, without raising real estate taxes.
The current firehouse was built when Calvin Coolidge was President, TV hadn’t been invented, and it was nearly 50 years before our country landed a man on the moon. The building was built as a car dealership and service station when Model T’s filled the streets. The firehouse has served its useful life. It's not compliant with current building codes or Department of Labor standards. The District has modified it over the years to make it functional, although not ideal, it has worked. Low ceilings, narrow overhead doors, porous brick, close proximity to the street, and countless other issues are constraining the District in it's ability to service the community.
The District has had the building assessed by an outside engineering firm and have reviewed several options. Reworking or modifying the existing firehouse is operationally, logistically, and financially not feasible. Simply put, it doesn’t make good sense to keep putting money in an outdated century old building. After the review, the most prudent, cost-effective way to move the District forward is to replace the firehouse with a new building.
In 2020, the District replaced its 25-year-old fire engine. Due to the constraints of the building we had to order a custom vehicle, specifically built to fit into our lower door heights. This, along with the ever-rising building costs, spurred the District to move forward with its capital plan to replace the existing building. Building a new firehouse would address the inadequacies the present facility poses with significant health and safety risks to the on-site staff. The District’s commitment to our life-saving work has not wavered and the staff continues to serve the community despite the indisputably difficult and unsafe environment from which they operate. The new firehouse will allow us to operate in a safe and responsive manner into the foreseeable future.
The cost of the new firehouse reflects fiscal prudence and in-line with similar sized communities in northwest Illinois. It will be a modest, sensible structure keeping with the aesthetics of the downtown. It will afford the District much needed space with a little room for growth. It is designed to address the inefficiencies of the current building and provide a modern safe environment for our staff.
Initial projected costs are $4.5 million dollars. We are not seeking to increase taxes in any way. The District is working diligently to secure financing for this much needed project. We are pursuing Local, State & Federal Grants, Local, State & Federal low interest loans and charitable donations.
The foundation has a goal of obtaining $2 million dollars in contributions. Yes, the goal seems insurmountable, but we know the community will step up. Historically you have always supported our mission. Our staff invests thousands of hours annually in training and responding to alarms, hopefully you’ll be willing to invest in them. Any size donation will help!