Brian Arola

The Free Press, Mankato, Minn.

(MCT)

Jul. 19—After a groundbreaking ceremony Monday, construction on St. Peter’s new fire station will begin shortly in anticipation of a 2023 finish.

The fire station on the northwest corner of the Broadway Avenue and Sunrise Drive intersection will be more than triple the size of the volunteer fire department’s 1920s-era hall on Mulberry Street. Voter and legislative approval paved the way for a 0.5% sales tax increase that kicked in on July 1 to fund up to $9.1 million of the project.

At Monday’s groundbreaking, Fire Chief Matt Ulman called the occasion a move forward toward modernizing the department’s emergency response.

“It feels good to see this moving forward,” he said. “It’s been long overdue; we started talking about this 25-30 years ago and since then stuff became outdated.”

A new fire station has been on the city’s wish list for years. The old, 8,100-square-feet building wasn’t built to be a fire hall, starting as a county garage.

As firefighting equipment evolved, the fire hall stayed the same. The new station will allow for more training and community space along with more room for equipment, Ulman said.

City and fire department leaders held open houses in October to showcase the old building’s limitations. Council member Darrell Pettis, a longtime volunteer firefighter, said most people who took tours before the election came away saying “you need to do this.”

“We have more equipment than we can fit in that building now,” he said. “You’ll see stuff parked outside and it’s because there’s no other room.”

Voters went on to approve a sales tax, as opposed to relying on property taxes, for funding by a 87-13 margin in November. The community’s support for the fire station project has been strong throughout, said Mayor Shanon Nowell.

The sales tax will either be in effect for 40 years or until it raises $9.1 million, whichever comes first. Using sales tax rather than property taxes means people who shop in but don’t live in St. Peter will contribute to the cost.

St. Peter’s latest “hot sheet” newsletter noted the city’s new sales tax after the 0.5% kicked in, 7.875%, is equal to Mankato’s.

Inflation has driven the project cost up by about $440,000 as of late June. Property taxes will be needed to fund overages beyond the stated sales tax amount, but can be spread out over decades.

The project is a momentous day for St. Peter, said City Administrator Todd Prafke, adding it will improve safety.

“We want to ensure the safety of the firefighters, and that helps ensure the safety of the community,” he said.

The project remains on track for an August to September 2023 completion date.

Follow Brian Arola @BrianArola

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Sometime over the weekend, thieves broke into the Hudson Hope, British Columbia, Canada, public works yard and stole firefighting equipment and fuel, according to a report published by the Alaska Highway News.

According to the report, the equipment belonged to the Hudson Hope Fire and Rescue department and its loss might affect the department’s response to emergencies.

Among the items stolen were jerry cans, a water pump and rolls of fire hose, in addition to fuel, according to the report. A public works Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck was also among the items stolen.

“It is so disappointing that someone would see a large, well marked Wild Fire Response trailer, break into it and steal items that make it un usable if needed,”  stated Cpl. Rob Gardner, Hudson’s Hope Royal Canadian Mounted Police Detachment Commander. “This unit was an integral part of assisting a neighbouring community during a wild fire last season and we are so lucky to have one locally in case of an emergency,”

The stolen truck is described as a single cab White Chevrolet Pick up with BC License plate BY5073. The box of the truck has green, yellow and blue decals, the doors have Hudson’s Hope Playground of the Peace decals on them and 31 on the headache rack. The truck is similar to the photo above. 

If you see the missing truck, or have any information to the break and enter and theft, please contact the Hudson’s Hope RCMP at 250-783-5241 and cite file 2022-175. You can also report information through Northern BC Crime Stoppers and remain anonymous by calling 1-800-222-TIPS (8477). 

Spencer Manufacturing—Hartford (MI) Fire Department pumper-tanker. Spartan Metro Star cab and chassis; Cummins L9 450-hp engine; Hale Qmax 1,500-gpm pump; APR polypropylene 1,013-gallon water tank; 30-gallon foam cell; Hale SmartFoam 3.3 Class A foam system. Dealer: Spencer Manufacturing, South Haven, MI.

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Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today announced that Dayville has secured a $32,200 federal grant to help build a new fire station in the Grant County town.

“Federal investments just like this one in Dayville protect quality of life for rural residents and the small businesses who employ Oregonians in our state’s more remote nooks and crannies,” Wyden said. “I’m gratified that the City of Dayville’s leaders have earned these resources to help rebuild their fire station so there’s a quick response to any local emergency, and I’ll keep battling for similar investments that support critical services throughout rural Oregon.”   

“Quick and reliable emergency response is important to any community, so it is vital that the City of Dayville receives the needed resources and funding to rebuild the Dayville Fire Station after the damage it sustained last July,” said Senator Merkley. “This funding to replace the City of Dayville’s fire station will provide immense benefits to everyone living in Dayville being served by the dedicated firefighters of this station. This resilient building will provide crucial public service for years to come.” 

The $32,200 U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development grant will help with the construction of a new fire station in Dayville to replace the previous facility, which was damaged beyond repair in a July 2021 blaze.

“The Dayville Volunteer Fire Department impacts the lives of many and its service to our rural area is vital,” said Dayville City Recorder Ruth Moore. “We currently find ourselves without a fire station, so we are thrilled with the additional funding that will allow us to move forward with the construction of a new building. A new fire station will provide our volunteers with a much needed facility to house our trucks and equipment and provide an area for trainings and meetings; all crucial elements for a functioning fire department. We are very appreciative to USDA Rural Development, as well as to all of the funders, for their support of this project. We would not be able to construct a new fire station without this assistance and are thankful for the help of Senators Wyden and Merkley.”

A building in Columbus, Ohio, partially collapsed Monday afternoon while a firefighter was inside during an inspection. No injuries were reported in the collapse, including to the firefighter. A business that operated on the ground floor, at 1032 East Long Street, was closed Monday. The owner of the business lived in a different part of the building, but was not inside when it happened, fire officials said.
- PUB DATE: 7/19/2022 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: WCMH-TV NBC 4 Columbus