The city of Hammond cut the ribbon on its new fire station Thursday. The new Fire Station 2 is located at 2403 Calumet Avenue in Robertsdale. It replaces a station a couple blocks north dating back to 1961.
Mayor Tom McDermott Jr. said it's part of his longstanding goal of improving public safety. "This station ensures faster response times for our citizens, better equipment and a stronger presence in a part of the city that deserves nothing less," McDermott said.
He acknowledged the financial challenges posed by the project. Despite being similar to another fire station recently built in Hammond, McDermott said it ended up costing almost twice as much — something he blamed on pandemic price increases. About half of the funding came from federal American Rescue Plan money distributed to Hammond and Lake County.
Hammond's new Fire Station 2 is across the street from the Pavilion at Wolf Lake Memorial Park and close to new housing being built at the former Clark High School athletic fields.
Hammond Firefighters Local 556 President Mike Hull noted the area's transformation. "Look at this whole freaking area: right behind us, these homes next door," Hull said. "If this fire station and that stuff doesn't tell you what the heck's going on in Hammond, I don't know what will."
City officials previously said the new fire station will have more room for modern equipment and accommodations for women firefighters.
