The Pontiac City Council approved a bid of nearly $2.5 million for the construction of a second ambulance substation.
The future station will be located on Ewing Drive, just outside the current west city limits. The project fulfills a long-standing vision first discussed in the community in the 1980s, Fire Chief Jacob Campbell noted in a news release.
The council awarded the construction contract at its April 20 meeting to Building Systems of Illinois, the lowest eligible bidder according to City Administrator Jim Woolford, in the amount of $2,427,500.
One of the primary benefits of the second station is that it positions first responders on both sides of the railroad tracks, eliminating long-standing response delays caused by train traffic, Campbell noted. Dividing the city into two response zones is also expected to allow for more efficient deployment of resources.
“When a (long) train is coming, all the crossings in town are down. We’ve seen those (emergency services) out of service for 10 minutes or more, which is pretty critical when it comes down to a medical emergency,” Woolford told the Pontiac Daily Leader back in 2024.
A substantial completion date for the new substation is January 2027, Woolford told the council.
Funding for the project comes from a $1.5 million contribution from the Humiston Trust, $50,000 from the Pontiac Fire Department Foreign Fire Tax Fund to equip the new facility, and a $500,000 federal grant used to purchase the 1.5 aces of land on Ewing Drive, the news release said.
This article originally appeared on Pontiac Daily Leader: Second Pontiac ambulance station slated for January 2027
Reporting by Linda Roy, Pontiac Daily Leader / Pontiac Daily Leader
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