Congratulations Robert Gall

One month is all it takes for Clarendon Hills Firehouse to be retrofitted with fire sprinklers.

When Clarendon Hills Fire Chief Brian Leahy and Fire Prevention Officer David Godek decided it was time to retrofit their fire station with fire sprinklers and set an example of fire safety within the community, they applied for a Fire Act grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to help fund the project.

The 12,000-square-foot firehouse, which was built in 1962 and added onto in 1999, has three to five personnel working in it daily.

“We wanted to install fire sprinklers to protect the fire suppression and EMS assets of the Village — both the people and the apparatuses,” says Leahy.

After earning the FEMA grant, which covered 95% of the funding, work began on September 1, 2012. Other than installing a new six-inch water service to the firehouse, the installation was typical and went smoothly. According to fire sprinkler installer Robert Gall with Valley Fire Protection Systems, approximately 66 sprinklers fully protect the firehouse. Fire sprinkler contractors worked around the normal everyday operations with minimal disruption and and the project was able to be completed in just over one month on October 5, 2012.

“Installing fire sprinklers in our workplace, a place we consider our second home, supports our mission of promoting fire sprinkler systems in all property types,” states Leahy.

Leahy adds that the Clarendon Hills police station and public works station are also fully sprinklered and that the fire department is working toward protecting the village hall.