Station Three – Protecting the North End of the District

Station Three, located at 13974 Willowbrook Road in Roscoe, Illinois, was constructed to better serve the rapidly growing northern portion of the Roscoe Fire Protection District. The station sits on a five-acre parcel generously donated by A.J. and Ruth Dwyer and family. After carefully monitoring emergency call volumes and reviewing projected growth in the north end of the district, the Board of Trustees set aside funding for the construction of a third fire station.

Groundbreaking ceremonies were held on April 4, 1991, coinciding with the 51st anniversary of the Roscoe Fire Protection District. During the ceremony, Trustees Glen Gabel, John Sundstedt, and Jim Hall presented the Dwyer family with a plaque in appreciation of their generous land donation. The new station officially went into service on September 12, 1991, and the Dwyer family was given the honor of cutting the ribbon during the station's dedication ceremony on September 28, 1991. Thanks to the foresight and financial planning of the Trustees, the $270,000 station was constructed completely debt free.

The original station was a two-bay, drive-through facility that included a radio room, office, training room, restrooms, and an emergency backup generator. Although the apparatus bay featured two drive-through bays, it was designed to accommodate up to four vehicles. Two deep wells were drilled to provide a reliable water supply for the station. When Station Three first opened, it housed two engines and a grass rig.

Former Deputy Chief Richard Mackenthun recalled that the station initially housed some of the department's oldest apparatus. Firefighters jokingly referred to the station as the department's "antique museum."

One of the station's most recognizable traditions also began in 1991 when two Dalmatian statues were donated to the station. A "Name the Dog and Pup" contest was held at Prairie Hill School, where students selected the names Blaze for the adult Dalmatian and Cinder for the puppy. More than three decades later, the statues remain proudly displayed at Station Three.

As the community continued to grow, Station Three underwent a major expansion in 2006, tripling the size of the original building. The addition increased the station to four apparatus bays and created a much-needed training facility for the department. The expanded station included a large indoor training room, meeting room, radio room, office, kitchen, storage rooms, firefighter lounge, sleeping quarters, and restroom facilities with showers. Additional improvements included a sprinkler system, specialized vehicle exhaust removal system, and a 6-kilowatt backup generator for emergency power. Individual firefighter bunk rooms were added during a subsequent renovation in 2013.

During the 2006 construction project, firefighters and apparatus temporarily relocated to a building off Metric Lane affectionately known as "the Barn." While working from the temporary quarters, firefighters dealt with cold temperatures, mice, and less-than-ideal conditions. Despite the inconveniences, emergency response to the community continued uninterrupted throughout the construction project.

On May 22, 2011, Station Three was struck by an EF-1 tornado. Firefighters on duty watched as the tornado approached the station and quickly sought shelter in an interior room. They later described the sound as resembling a freight train and recalled hearing bay doors being torn away while ceiling tiles lifted overhead. Fortunately, no one was injured.

When firefighters emerged after the storm had passed, they found significant damage to the station and surrounding property. Several trees and all three flagpoles had been blown down, one apparatus bay door had been ripped from the building causing damage to the station's exterior, and the department's smoke house had been pushed into a trailer, damaging both pieces of equipment. Firefighters immediately began securing the building and boarding up damaged areas before returning to emergency service.

In the fall of 2016, Station Three underwent another major renovation and improvement project. The goals of the project were to enhance firefighter living facilities, modernize the building's mechanical systems for improved efficiency, improve the station's public entrance and identity, and connect the facility to the sanitary sewer system. Because Station Three serves as the department's primary training facility, a dedicated classroom for firefighter education and training was also added. Firefighters reoccupied the newly renovated station in the fall of 2017.

Today, Station Three serves as the department's northern response station and primary training center. Apparatus currently assigned to the station include an Advanced Life Support ambulance, a 75-foot quint, a 1,000-gallon engine, a 3,000-gallon super tanker, a grass rig, a Technical Rescue Truck, an enclosed trailer, and a reserve engine. The station continues to play a critical role in protecting the residents of the northern portion of the Roscoe Fire Protection District while supporting training and specialized emergency response operations throughout the district.