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Fire-station expansion looks to future
(by Joan Demirjian - October 08, 2009)
Fire-station expansion looks to future
By JOAN DEMIRJIAN
A proposed addition to the Auburn Fire Station is geared to serve the fire department and community for the next 30 years and beyond, according to Fire Chief John Phillips.
Designed by Larsen Architects, of Lakewood, the addition to the north of the existing station at Washington Street and Auburn Road is to encompass 12,233 square feet.
Daniel Matsko, fire department treasurer, said the department has outgrown the current building, which was built in 1978.
As part of the building project, existing station space would be renovated. A pad for landing medical helicopters will be redone as part of the project.
In the building plans, the first-floor addition of 5,750 square feet will include two bays for rescue squads. The primary purpose is to have the emergency vehicles close to the administration and staffers in that part of the building to enable fast response, Mr. Phillips said.
There will be a lobby, offices for the chief and officers, including fire prevention, treasurer and administration, and a conference room. A decontamination area will allow cleaning of equipment and gear after hazardous-materials incidents.
Locker rooms will provide ample space for firefighters' gear, away from fire vehicles. Right now, gear is stored close to vehicles and the gear gets wet when vehicles are washed.
The first floor will have a place for firefighters and emergency medical service staff to change gear before going into the offices. Also on the first floor will be a mechanical room, a room for the computer servers and bathrooms.
On the 5,482-square-foot-second floor will be sleeping quarters for six people, Mr. Phillips said.
Right now, the station is not equipped to have people in there 24 hours a day seven days a week, he said. Staffers currently sleep on cots in the administration area.
The new space will allow additional sleeping quarters for people who might stay overnight during storms, he said. And eventually the department may have additional staff.
The upstairs will have space for women's and men's personal clothing and items. There will be a study area for people using break times for studying for tests and training.
A day room will include a lounge and a kitchen. An exercise room is important to the department because of the physical work done when on calls, Mr. Phillips said.
Everyone undergoes annual and bi-annual physicals. And when staff come to the station to use the workout equipment, they are available when calls come in, he said.
A concrete pad will be replaced in front of the existing bay area and the roof on the existing building will be replaced as well. The back face of the existing building will be renovated.
Bathrooms in the existing first floor of the station would be brought up to current standards, and the meeting room and training area would be renovated as well.
That area provides a temporary shelter during severe storms with power outages for the elderly, Mr. Phillips said. "We have a list of people we contact to see if they need assistance," he said.
If approved by Township Trustees, a replacement levy will be placed on the ballot next May to help finance the $2.5 million project.
In 1981, a 3.5-mill continuing levy was approved by voters and in 1996, a 1.67-mill levy was approved. It expires in 2010.
Mr. Matsko said both levies are based on old valuations. The plan would be to drop the 1.67-mill levy and replace the 3.5-mill levy. A new 3.5-mill levy would generate funds for the addition, renovations and operations based on current property values.
A new 3.5-mill levy would cost an additional $55 per $100,000 of home valuation.
In 2003, the department initiated a policy of paying volunteers for their time to answer calls, and this year, started staffing with two people per shift, 24 hours a day seven days a week.
In past years, firefighters and rescue workers responding from homes would take three to five minutes to get to the station and then another three to five minutes to get to the call, Mr. Phillips said.
Rescues make up 85 percent of the calls. Having people on station cuts response time in half, Mr. Phillips said.
"We account for every penny we spend, and we have a long-term budget and an annual budget plan," Mr. Phillips said. "It's gone a long way in accountability. We provide our township trustees with monthly expenditures, yearly budget and five-year budget.
"The bottom line is protecting family, friends and neighbors," Mr. Phillips said.
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