Excerpts from rrstar.com: Officials in Loves Park are mulling over plans to enhance their volunteer fire department by introducing a daytime crew, a move they believe could significantly reduce response times that currently lag behind those of the nearby North Park Fire Protection District. At present, Loves Park’s roughly 35 volunteer firefighters are required to leave their homes and head to the scene upon receiving an emergency call. Fire department leaders argue this method contributes to their sluggish response times. To address this issue, the city aims to station three firefighters alongside two supervisors at the 400 Grand Avenue station during the hours of 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., possibly starting as soon as August. These firefighters would earn wages ranging from $12 to $20 per hour, contingent on their level of experience. With an average of 28 hours worked each week, they wouldn't qualify for health insurance benefits, keeping costs relatively low. This initiative is expected to add around $200,000 to the city's annual expenses. An analysis of the first three months of the year reveals that Loves Park's average response time stood at 15.2 minutes, markedly higher than North Park’s 6-minute mark. North Park serves the southern part of Machesney Park and certain areas of unincorporated Winnebago County. Interestingly, response times remained fairly consistent throughout the day. Incorporating this daytime crew would boost the fire department's annual budget by a third, bringing it up to approximately $1 million. Recent incidents highlight the need for improvement; it took them 27 minutes to reach 7349 Chucks Way, 24 minutes to both 12414 Kings Point Drive and 5625 Covey Ridge Trail. However, these figures have shown slight improvements following a new auto-aid agreement established in February between Loves Park and North Park fire departments. In March, average response times decreased to 13.3 minutes, down from 17.6 minutes in February and 15.3 minutes in January. Despite these efforts, Loves Park still faces significant logistical hurdles. Mayor Tim Saunders has expressed interest in constructing a new fire station near Mercyhealth Sportscore Two and the upcoming Mercyhealth Hospital and Trauma Center at the intersection of East Riverside Boulevard and Interstate 90. This proposed facility is estimated to cost around $5 million. Since Loves Park does not impose a property tax, funding options are constrained to either issuing bonds or seeking voter approval for additional revenue sources to cover such a substantial investment. Dongguan Anding Technology Manufacturing Co., Ltd , https://www.cn-moulds.com