Dear Residents,

Collinsville Fire & EMS House
 
In the hour of our greatest need, we expect a professional team to arrive at our door in minutes, extinguish the flames, treat the injured and/or sick, and, if need be, transport them to the hospital.
 
That’s a lot to expect from a mostly volunteer Fire and EMS service operating from a building that can’t fit the ambulances, fire trucks, equipment and people who arrive at our door. When they can’t get out of each other’s way or have to pull gear from separate locations, response time suffers. 
 
Fifty years ago, 9,480 square feet was plenty of room for the brand new Collinsville Fire Station. Today, the fire trucks are bigger than the garage bays. There’s too much gear to fit in equipment cubbies. The training needed to prepare crews for the emergencies they face must be taken elsewhere.
 
The Collinsville Fire and EMS House proposed where the Collinsville Station is now located meets these challenges at a lower cost than every alternative we studied - and there were a lot of them!
 
Since 2016, many town committees have researched the needs and growing requirements for equipment and personnel safety. These committees studied alternative sites, consolidation strategies and their impact on response time. The recommended Collinsville Fire and EMS House was verified as the most cost and service effective solution in 2019.
 
The pandemic scuttled plans to put the question of bonding for the Collinsville Fire and EMS House on the ballot for 2020. Since then, the need for the new facility has only grown. 
 
As November approaches, I invite you to learn as much as you can about the Collinsville Fire and EMS House.  

I’m sure you will be impressed by the rigor and thoroughness of the work that underpins this project.

Stay well,
Bob Bessel