The DeKalb Fire Department’s Web site has been revamped with a new, easier-to-use layout.

“We made it more user-friendly,” said DeKalb Fire Department secretary Traci Lemay, who helped build the site along with DeKalb Public Works technician and webmaster Jeff Birtell.

Adjustments to the site have reduced memory costs and loading times for users, Lemay said.

Along with a streamlined design, visitors will also find a wealth of information on the department, ranging from fire-prevention tips to detailed rosters.

The site features the annual reports offering a history of the department since its inception in 1869, detailed statistics on fire and emergency medical service responses in DeKalb and full-color photos of city firefighters on the job.

A new children’s section offers a virtual tour of firefighter equipment and department ambulances and a link to the National Fire Protection Association’s Sparky the Dog Web site.

Cable Channel 14 announcements and informational fliers produced by the fire department promote the site, Birtell said.

The site has been online as a part of the city Web site since the city Web site was available in February 2001, Birtell said, and is paid for through the city’s general fund budget.

Future plans for the site are always in planning, Birtell said.

“The city’s Web site, as most any government Web site, is a living document,” Birtell said. “[It’s] constantly under change due to updated information, advances in technical ability and the needs of the citizens who access it.”

A photo section for the Web site is still under construction, Lemay said. When completed, the section will feature pictures of DeKalb fire stations, equipment and city events.

The DeKalb Fire Department’s Web site is: www.cityofdekalb.com/DeKalbFireDepartment.