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Funds for the $4.9 million West Grand Avenue firehouse are primarily coming from a bond issue.
The blueprint includes increased space for trucks; more office and records retention space; a training/meeting room; a decontamination area; and an area that can be used for quarters in case it's needed as a disaster recovery site, Councilman Liaison Timothy Lane said.
"The current firehouse really suffers from three primary problems," Lane said.
"First, it really is not large enough to accommodate the equipment we currently use in firefighting," he said. "It also does not have the facilities that represent best practices for firefighting.
"Second, the current firehouse has some structural deficiencies resulting from attempts to expand the original structure, which was built in 1955," said Lane, noting that the repairs needed would be extremely expensive and wouldn't address space concerns.The leakage from the existing structure's flat roof accounts for the third problem despite numerous repairs.Designed by Architect Robbie Conley, the facility includes a decontamination area that Lane described as a necessity given the hazardous materials firefighters are more frequently encountering.
"The extra space will create a much safer environment and reduce the risk of accidents caused by squeezing our existing equipment into space that is insufficient," Lane said.
"It will also allow the department to better address the growing administrative requirements (paperwork, record keeping and training) placed on fire departments," he added.
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