Thank You For Your Continued Support To The New Platteville Fire Facility

Fund raising efforts for a new fire facility in Platteville are now in full swing. The new building, which will serve roughly 20,000 area residents in the fire department’s 137-mile fire district, is expected to cost $14.5 million. Even after Federal appropriations, gifts, grants, and contributions by municipalities served in the fire district are factored in, the remaining $1.5 million shortfall must come from other sources.

It’s been 150 years since the Platteville Fire Department was established by local business owners after a devastating fire on Main Street in April 1874. Ninety years later, in 1964, the fire department moved into its current location.

Now, another 60 years later, the equipment needed to fight a fire has changed dramatically. The larger apparatus have outgrown their Main Street home. The fire department pays a premium when purchasing new equipment, as it must be designed and built to fit into the confined space of the current facility. Instead of arranging vehicles according to response priority, several vehicles are parked according to size, which can make a crucial difference in a fast-moving fire emergency.

Throughout its history, volunteers have staffed the Platteville Department. In fact, volunteers are the backbone of U.S. firefighting. Of the more than one million firefighters nationally, 65% are volunteers. Most firefighters are men, but women are increasingly part of the total, at about 9%.

According to the National Volunteer Fire Council (NFVC), the volunteer numbers are slowly declining. The time is fast approaching when the supply of volunteers will give way to the need to hire “career” firefighters, who are paid for their services. These firefighters will need sleeping facilities the current station does not have and has no room for. Even now, the Main Street facility lacks “decon” facilities for firefighters to clean up before they return to their homes or jobs, bringing with them a host of undesirable contaminants.

Click here to learn more about the Platteville Fire Facility Project.

Those interested in making contributions may send checks to Inspiring Community, Inc., PO Box 503, Platteville WI 53818 and note “Fire Station” on the memo line. Inspiring Community Inc. is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization. Contributions are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.