A $1.6 million flip-flop has restored a Rockford firehouse turned vehicle repair shop back to Fire Station No. 7, and could improve response times to fire and medical emergencies.
The Rockford Fire Department facility, located at 2323 Sawyer Road on the city’s southeast side, operated as a fire station from 1978 until 1991, when the department converted it into a fire vehicle repair shop. Firefighting operations shifted to 4979 Falcon Road under an agreement with the Chicago-Rockford International Airport.
It is hoped that restoring the Sawyer Road facility as a fire station and moving the repair shop to Falcon Road will help the department reduce how long it takes firefighters to get to emergency calls.