Springfield Fire Department Chief Ed Canny, Fire Department personnel, O’Shea Builders, Archimages, Inc., and other City officials  officially broke ground for Fire Station #13 on Friday morning.

Fire Station #13, to be situated on Spaulding Orchard Road just west of Illinois Route 4, will be the City’s first addition of a new fire station since Fire Station #12 on Koke Mill Road in 1996.

The addition of this station will expand coverage and greatly increase response times to the southwest quadrant of the city including Westchester, Lincolnshire, Piper Glen, Panther Creek and the Interstate 72 Corridor.

O’Shea Builders, who is also spearheading projects to relocate Fire Stations #6 and #8, will oversee construction for new Fire Station #13 as its final installment. All projects are aimed towards improving fire response times and balancing coverage to all areas of the city.