Story by reporter Jackie Majerus:Updating and expanding four of the city's firehouses would cost about $13 million, consultants told fire commissioners Wednesday.
The consultants from the architectural firm Kaestle Boos Associates said the firehouses on Hill Street, Church Avenue, Vincent P. Kelly Road and Mix Street are mostly cramped quarters with limited parking and other issues that could be addressed by expansions at each site.
For an additional $4.7 million, they said, the city could add a new training facility and a "burn building" for exercises.
Fire Chief Jon Pose said the firehouses lack energy efficiency and have "tired" mechanical, electrical and furnace systems. None has air conditioning, he said.
"These buildings have reached the end of their usable life," said Pose.
Sleeping quarters and restrooms aren't private, Pose said.
"There's no facilities for female firefighters," said Pose. "All of our firehouses share those same problems."
The new designs show separate bedrooms for individual firefighters, said Pose, and additional space for more personnel "if that ever happens."
Currently, the city has just one firehouse that can take its largest truck, according to Pose. He said the trend in firefighting equipment is for larger, wider and taller trucks.
"They barely fit now in any of our firehouses," said Pose.
Kaestle Boos, hired a year ago to evaluate the condition of four of the city's firehouses, gave an estimate of $2.6 million to double the size of Engine Co. No. 2 on Hill Street.
"It is a snug site," said Jim Sperry of Kaestle Boos, with limited parking but good sight lines and only minor drainage issues.
Engine Co. No. 3 on Church Avenue is the tightest spot of all, according to Sperry, who said it is also a challenging location.
Dave King of Kaestle Boos proposed a second story addition to the Church Avenue firehouse that would more than double the space there. He said it would cost about $3.1 million.
On Vincent P. Kelly Road, Engine Co. No. 4 has available land, King said. He said the firehouse is using only a little more than half of its 2.2 acre property, while a huge sand storage facility takes up the rest.
"We need to address the dome there," said Mayor Art Ward, who said the matter will be taken up soon with the public works department.
Kaestle Boos recommends more than doubling the size of that firehouse, a project they estimate would cost about $3.5 million.
Adding a "burn building" for training firefighters could be another $800,000 or more, the architects said, and a new training facility would push the cost up by another $3.7 million.
Lastly, at Engine Co. No. 5 on Mix Street, a high water table, poor storm drainage and heavy traffic are problems.
"It can certainly be a real challenge to get the trucks in and out," said Sperry.
Improvements to the Mix Street firehouse, the architects said, would more than double the space and carry a price tag of $3.8 million.
The consultants are expected to soon give a presentation on their findings and recommendations to city finance commissioners.
And a related story:With the imminent move of CW Resources from its longtime Hill Street quarters to a large location on Broad Street, the city is eyeing the nonprofit’s current home for potential use by the Fire Department.
“They could use that building for something,” said city Councilor Cliff Block.
The old school building, which housed the South Chippin Hill School, is next door to the Engine 2 firehouse on Hill Street.
Fire Chief Jon Pose said he would be interested in the facility, though he’s not yet sure how the department could best use it.
“It’s available and it’s there,” Block said. “It’s not going to cost us anything.”
The Fire Department is preparing to overhaul all of its firehouses, including the central headquarters on North Main Street. Plans remain tentative.
Pose and Block said that the ultimate use for the old school on Hill Street probably would likely be settled as part of the overhaul process.
CW Resources, which provides employment to people with disabilities, has been in the 1,200-square-foot Hill Street building since 1974. It is moving this spring to Broad Street.
The existing building site began its civic life as a one-room school in 1755.
According to state records, the city spent $2,500 in 1914 to open a new rural school called South Chippins School, which apparently had two rooms and was open until 1936. The building, since remodeled, is owned by the city, which has leased it to CW Resources for the past 34 years.
Block said it appears the structure is in good shape.
He firehouse next door has long had a shortage of space, officials said, so gaining the extra property is bound to help.
City officials haven’t made any decisions about the property yet.
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