Kane County Mulls Fire Safety Upgrades for 150-Year-Old Courthouse

By Amie Schaenzer (Patch Staff)

Photo Credit: Kane County website

The busy Third Street Courthouse in Geneva is in need of $1.5 million in safety upgrades, officials said this week.

Officials told members of the county board on Wednesday that right now, the 150-year-old building is not set up to properly handle fires and medical situations requiring gurneys, and improvements, such as “ a new, larger elevator and life-safety upgrades,” are needed, according to a Kane County Chronicle website.

Geneva Deputy Fire Chief Mark Einwich said the Kane County Courthouse needs fire-rated doors at the stairwells and standpipes, which would a fire truck to connect to the building, according to the newspaper.

Currently, firefighters need to drag hoses into the courthouse, which delays them from getting water to a fire by 10 to 20 minutes “if not longer,” according to the article.

Einwich also said that under current conditions, a fire could erupt from a spark to a blaze 20 times that size before firefighters are even able to start dousing it with water, according to the Daily Herald.

Elevator improvements, computer upgrades and enhanced jury room space is also expected as part of the renovation project, the newspaper reports.

The Kane County Administration Committee has recommended approval for the project to the Executive Committee, according to the Kane County Chronicle.