Fire stations around Madison have to pick up the slack while the downtown station on West Dayton Street is closed for remodeling for the next six to nine months.
City of Madison Fire Station #1 is the city’s biggest and busiest station, according to a City of Madison Fire Department statement. The nearly 50-year-old station will be closed for renovations that include improvements to energy efficiency, community access and gender neutral living areas, according to the statement.
The renovations do not leave room for firefighters to stay and work around them, Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4, said.
Firefighters, medic crews and equipment will be transferred to the other fire stations in Madison, as well as take on some of Station #1’s responsibilities while renovations proceed.
“Over the next few months, as the renovations are taking place, I know the Fire Department will address any shortcomings,” Verveer said.
MFD leaders have repeatedly assured Verveer they will do all they can to ensure response times stay decreased, he said, and that students and citizens living on campus have nothing to worry about.
Most of the firefighters have been temporarily transferred to Fire Station #4 on Monroe Street and to a temporary location in the Madison Gas and Electric building on East Main Street, near the Capital, Verveer said. Fire Station #3 will also house the medic team and one of the trucks, with an additional squad relocated to Station #9 on North Midvale Boulevard.
These three stations will have the most pressure on them due to the cramped space, Verveer said. Since stations #3 and #4 are the biggest, they have the most room to house extra people and equipment, although it is not ideal.
“The conditions aren’t optimal, but they’re making due in terms of the limited space in each of the other stations,” Verveer said.
Regarding who will respond to which calls, MFD has a system based on proximity and the kind of call that comes in, Verveer said.
In case of an emergency on campus, firefighters at the Monroe Street location would be called into action.
Ald. Scott Resnick, District 8, said safety is the highest priority and response rates are expected to remain the same.
“There will still be strong coverage from the Fire Department,” Resnick said. “[Madison] has a very strong fire department, and this plan has been in the works now for years.”
