Station #2

Station #2
Address: 825 Ralston Rd Machesney Park, Illinois
The original Station Two was 17,800 square feet and was built in 1978. It was located at 825 Ralston Road, Machesney Park, Illinois 61115. Harlem Township also invested money in the station to see that the station exterior was brick.

Trustees Jim Hall, Carl Rich, and Bill Woodward were instrumental in procuring this station. The station was built on land sold to the fire district for $1.00 by Winnebago County. A second lot was bought through eminent domain. A bank note was taken out for $85,000 to build the station.

The station included four bays, an office, and two restrooms. The station also had a portable seven kilowatt backup generator in case of an electrical outage, an Eagle Air Cascade System and a hose washer.

The station was remodeled in 2002. The new addition added a kitchen, offices, meeting room, bunk room, laundry room, mechanical room, more rest rooms, a radio room and a lounge/exercise room to the existing fire apparatus bay. An automated exhaust system was also added.

In 2010, some inside remodeling was done that moved the radio room and officer’s room closer to the bay and added individual bunk rooms.

In 2017, Station #2 received a major overhaul including an addition. Fire Chief Shoevlin, "The purpose of the project was to improve firefighter living facilities, improve building/mechanical equipment for efficiency, and improve public entrance identity, along with placing the station on sanitary sewer." The living quarters were gutted and updated to include 6 bunk rooms, 4 bathrooms, kitchen, lounge, laundry, meeting room, offices, radio room, and storage.

Apparatus currently housed at Station Two are as follows: one 75’ Quint, one 1,000 gallon engine, one ALS Ambulance, one SUV, and a Zodiac boat.