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Facilities
Gone are the days when Deerfield firefighters slept in one large room, camp style. Gone are the days when the fire department had to rent space for their file cabinets. In addition, gone are the days of sliding down the fire pole. Deerfield firefighters have now moved into the 90s, with slick and roomy accommodations in their new headquarters on Waukegan Road. The traditional fire pole has been replaced by a one-story structure; the sleeping quarters are now equipped with cubicles for privacy and office space is abundant.
Dream Station
The $4.9 million structure serves as a model for fire stations to come, with amenities many other fire departments long to have. The station, which took fourteen months to construct, contains the only built-in safety-training house on the North Shore. Previously, firefighters would borrow trailers from the county that simulated rooms of a home to teach fire safety. Four rooms of a home are built right into the new station's basement structure. A built-in smoke machine simulates the circumstances of an actual fire. The doors are even equipped with a device to make them hot, to help teach children about when and when not to open a door in a fire situation. Fire Chief James Quinn said, "He anticipates the house will provide many adults and classes of children with useful fire tips." Firefighters could also use the house for their own training exercises. The chief is expecting to hire a full-time training officer, who would be in charge of firefighters training and would serve as the safety officer for the community. "Money has been allocated in the coming year's budget," Quinn said. He is also hoping to hire a full-time medical officer in the future, who would be in charge of paramedic training. "Money for that position is not yet available," he said.
Living Quarters
The sizable basement area contains several rooms that will be used for training. A large multi-purpose room will be offered out to local groups and organizations for meetings. Deerfield firefighters contributed suggestions as to how the new station would be constructed. The firefighters were told regarding the living quarters, "this is your side where you are going to live, you tell us what you want," Quinn said. Architects designed one section of the new station for office space, to remedy the crowded conditions in the old station built in 1952. Everyone has an office, from the chief, to the fire prevention officers, to the fire district board members. There is also a large lobby and reception area, built, like most of the rest of the building, to handle expansion of the department in the future. " At times it was difficult to have meetings or just do work because of the noise level," Quinn said of the old building's second floor offices, added on in 1967 when the fire department went from volunteer to paid. Additional remodeling was done in 1982 to add space. The fire department was forced to rent space from U.S. Storage to store a large amount of files. " The pension board office had their file cabinet in the TV room at the old station," Quinn said. In the new building, file cabinets fit handily in offices located throughout the department.
Vehicle Storage
Perhaps the place firefighters most appreciate is the extra room in the apparatus bays, where the fire trucks are housed. Previously there was about 40 inches between the trucks and the wall, giving firefighters little space to put on equipment, clean, and work on the fire trucks. The new bays are more than twice the size of the old ones, housing three fire engines, two fire trucks, one squad vehicle, and two ambulances. The firefighters are also able to keep other smaller utility trucks inside the bays. Another advantage is an extra bay built strictly for maintenance. Lifts will raise the trucks so mechanics can work more easily underneath them. Taking advantage of modern fire technology, the bays are installed with exhaust hoses, which collect exhaust fumes. Firefighters would occasionally note feeling queasy in the old station with all its fumes. The new station comes equipped with a library, where firefighters taking college or training courses can study, a weight training room, large kitchen and eating areas, and a TV room. Much of the furniture in the station is new, but the department did bring furniture from the old station's TV room and weight training equipment. Among the new equipment are a washer and dryer, including a special washing machine for clothes that become contaminated with blood. The department also purchased a new all-in-one air compressor machine to fill the air tanks. The sticker price may seem huge, but fire officials said they have been saving up for a station for years. "All of the money came out of a capital fund," Quinn said. "We have not increased our tax levy in the last four years," he added. Quinn, a Deerfield resident, said "his taxes to the fire district have actually gone down this year."
The new station has 10 administrative offices. The offices are connected with a 4MB token-ring network. The system is served by a MicroSoft Windows Technology.
 The executive conference room.
The lobby is open Monday thru Friday 8:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M. Call (847) 945-4120 for information, tours available upon request.  The original fire pole from the old firehouse on 839 Deerfield Road
The basement of Station 20 has a large assembly hall and a fire safety house. These accommodations have a great impact on training the community for fire safety.
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