Danville’s Number 4 Fire Station no longer looks like a fire station. And on Saturday…it will cease its service to the city. Gone are the large ‘DFD’ and number ‘4’ from the front of the building. They were removed as firefighters continued to pack the last of the equipment that is moving out.
The firefighting crew and the engine now housed at Station 4 on East Main Street — are moving to Station 3 on Griffin Street – effective Saturday. The move is part of the effort to reduce expenditures in the fire department.
And as the move is made, some people are wondering what sort of impact it will have. It was just last week that Danville Firefighters from Station 4 were able to revive a 14-month-old girl – saving her from a near-drowning in a backyard pool on Schultz Street. Firefighters were on the scene within two minutes of when they received the call.
Danville Public Safety Director Larry Thomason says he believes the consolidation of fire services will still allow the city to provide the services necessary within standards that firefighters try to meet.
Effective Saturday (July 1st, 2017) Danville Firefighters will be responding to calls from the remaining three stations. They are Station 1 on Seminary Street (near Gilbert), Station 2 on North Vermilion Street (on Danville’s north side), and Station 3 on North Griffin Street.
Although Mayor Scott Eisenhauer had earlier proposed cutting 16 firefighters….no firefighters are losing their jobs under the new consolidation. A special committee which studied the fire department’s operations had earlier recommended closing Station 3 on Griffin Street. But after further discussions with Danville Firefighters Local 429, the decision was made to close the East Main Street station instead. The Local says there has been a fire station in that area of East Main since 1905.
