Local Leaders Propose National Firefighters Museum in Rockford

Rockford, IL - Large collections of fire trucks may soon be rolling into Rockfords southwest side. Local leaders propose transforming the old Barber Colman manufacturing building into the first national firefighters museum. Juanita Garcia attended Sundays neighborhood meeting to support opening the museum in her area. "Whatever we can bring into the southwest area of Rockford, that revitalizes the area and helps Rockford in general to become known nationwide, I am all for it," says Garcia. The vacant 800,000 square foot manufacturing building on South Main St. is the site proposed by local fire and elected officials to be the home of the first national firefighters museum. "I`ve been speaking to the mayor about that eye sore which is the factory down there which they`ve not done anything with for a long time there," says Mary Castro, who grew up on the southwest side. Castro is certain the area needs positive development, but is hesitant about this project. "I want to see what the Southwest Side community can get out of it besides tourism," says Castro. "You`ve just got to make sure tourism is going to be feasible for the Southwest Side money wise because that`s what it needs." "I think people will come from across the country to visit this museum," says EJ Dilonardo, President of the Rockford Firefighters Local 413. Organizers say it would be called Firehouse America. It would be the first museum to honor the countrys fire history, from Benjamin Franklin opening the first fire house in America in Philadelphia in 1736, to the Great Chicago Fire in 1871, to the Sept. 11th terrorist attacks in 2001. "This museum will tell a timeline of the fire service from the very beginning of leather buckets and wooden ladders all the way up to the technical equipment that we have now," says Dilonardo. "I think the climate is right, right now, to promote the commitment that the firefighters have throughout the United States," says Rockford Alderman Victory Bell (D-5th Ward). "I think it`s about time we do get some recognition and especially the firefighters that have done so much for our community and the whole nation," says Garcia. The project is projected to cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. Organizers say that funding would come from outside of Rockford. "I would be looking to the state, the federal government, the national firefighters, as well as national companies as supporters of this," says Sen. Dave Syverson (R-34th Dist.). The official decision has to come from the National Firefighters Association. But so far a formal proposal has not been drafted.