Lincoln Fire Protection District Begins Construction on New Fire Station

For Immediate Release – Friday, October 11, 2024

Lincoln Fire Protection District Begins Construction on New Fire Station

The Lincoln Fire Protection District has begun constructing a new fire station in rural Coles County near Mattoon, IL. The new station will be located on Odd Fellow Road, south of 700N and the Apostolic Center. This station, once completed, will replace the district’s current Station 3 located on Old State Road near Mattoon, IL.

”We’re excited to break ground and begin the construction on a new fire station to position the Lincoln Fire Protection District better to serve our community,” said Lincoln Fire Protection District Board of Trustees President Ryan Berkheimer. “We’ve put a lot of work into the design of this station to ensure the safety of our volunteers and position the LFPD for future growth. Through strategic planning and budget management, we can build this station without increasing the taxes on the communities we serve.”

The new station will feature five apparatus bays properly sized for modern fire engines, a meeting room, two offices, additional parking, and features to increase firefighter safety. Fire apparatus are much larger now than what the current station was built to accommodate so in addition to more bays the bays will provide more appropriate space around each vehicle to facilitate training and maintenance. The current station currently houses an engine and tanker.

“While a national volunteer shortage plagues many volunteer departments, Station 3 has maintained a strong roster of volunteers and we have outgrown the current station,” said Lincoln Fire Protection District Chief Kevin Rankin. “The new station will provide us with additional parking, gear storage, training space, and apparatus bays to accommodate this growth as well as future growth.”

“This new station takes proactive steps to protect our volunteers from the hidden dangers of their service,” said Berkheimer. “Investing in the health of our volunteers is an important investment in our community’s safety.” This station will feature a gear room separated from the apparatus floor and meeting spaces to minimize contamination by vehicle exhausts and carcinogens the gear collects during structure fires. The station will feature a shower and laundry room to allow firefighters to decontaminate after calls and minimize the carcinogens they take home.

The station design was completed by the Upchurch Group. The general contractor for the project is Wohltman Construction Inc. and the project financing has been provided by Prairie State Bank & Trust. Contractors have begun work on the site with an anticipated completion during the summer of 2025.

The Lincoln Fire Protection District is a 50-member volunteer fire department that covers 125 square miles of Coles County, Illinois. The department has stations near Charleston, Lerna, and Mattoon and responds to fire, EMS, rescue, and dive calls within their response area and the county.

The Lincoln Fire Protection District has begun constructing a new fire station in rural Coles County near Mattoon, IL. The new station will be located on Odd Fellow Road, south of 700N and the Apostolic Center. This station, once completed, will replace the district’s current Station 3 located on Old State Road near Mattoon, IL.

”We’re excited to break ground and begin the construction on a new fire station to position the Lincoln Fire Protection District better to serve our community,” said Lincoln Fire Protection District Board of Trustees President Ryan Berkheimer. “We’ve put a lot of work into the design of this station to ensure the safety of our volunteers and position the LFPD for future growth. Through strategic planning and budget management, we can build this station without increasing the taxes on the communities we serve.”

The new station will feature five apparatus bays properly sized for modern fire engines, a meeting room, two offices, additional parking, and features to increase firefighter safety. Fire apparatus are much larger now than what the current station was built to accommodate so in addition to more bays the bays will provide more appropriate space around each vehicle to facilitate training and maintenance. The current station currently houses an engine and tanker.

“While a national volunteer shortage plagues many volunteer departments, Station 3 has maintained a strong roster of volunteers and we have outgrown the current station,” said Lincoln Fire Protection District Chief Kevin Rankin. “The new station will provide us with additional parking, gear storage, training space, and apparatus bays to accommodate this growth as well as future growth.”

“This new station takes proactive steps to protect our volunteers from the hidden dangers of their service,” said Berkheimer. “Investing in the health of our volunteers is an important investment in our community’s safety.” This station will feature a gear room separated from the apparatus floor and meeting spaces to minimize contamination by vehicle exhausts and carcinogens the gear collects during structure fires. The station will feature a shower and laundry room to allow firefighters to decontaminate after calls and minimize the carcinogens they take home.

The station design was completed by the Upchurch Group. The general contractor for the project is Wohltman Construction Inc. and the project financing has been provided by Prairie State Bank & Trust. Contractors have begun work on the site with an anticipated completion during the summer of 2025.

The Lincoln Fire Protection District is a 50-member volunteer fire department that covers 125 square miles of Coles County, Illinois. The department has stations near Charleston, Lerna, and Mattoon and responds to fire, EMS, rescue, and dive calls within their response area and the county.