Sofia Acosta Silva
The Day, New London, Conn.
(TNS)
Waterford — The decision on whether the town will approve a $12.6 million bond to build a new station for Oswegatchie Fire Company No. 4 is likely to be made at the Representative Town Meeting on Oct. 6.
If the RTM approves the bonding, the town would then seek bids for the project.
At an Aug. 4 RTM meeting at a packed Town Hall auditorium, the Oswegatchie Fire Station Building Committee, Silver Petrucelli Associates, and Downs Construction presented an overview of the fire station’s design and costs, including a virtual walk through of the proposed station.
I would hope that we never end up in this situation again, where we have this historic opportunity to build a new firehouse, which is a very rare thing,” said Director of Fire Service Chris Haley, responding to Representative Mary Child’s concern about the other neglected firehouses. “And I hope that we do not end up in this situation again.”
The current deteriorating station, which is 94 years old, has gone through many temporary fixes to keep it open and functioning. The four other fire stations in town also have problems that need attention, such as lack of heating and cooling, sewer backups, cracks in structures and leaks.
“What got us to this point is what we’re trying to avoid going forward, the total neglect of the stations,” said Haley about the failure to maintain the firehouses.
The proposed 9,988-square-foot station would be built in the parking lot of the current station, which will allow it to remain open during construction. The interior would include spaces such a as training/public meeting room and offices which could be accessed by the public.
Spaces for firefighters and employees that would require keycard access include bunk rooms, a kitchen, an exercise room.
The truck bays, will include bi-fold doors, with an opening time of 7 to 8 seconds, which is about half the time it takes for typical overhead doors to open, and will require less maintenance.
The new station would have a colonial home design with a red “barn” section for the apparatus bays and a white “house” section for the living quarters. It will incorporate LED lighting with automatic and dimming controls.
During the almost two-hour discussion following the presentation, Haley said a big misconception about the project is that the cost is financially irresponsible. But he called the cost of the new building as an investment that will provide 50 to 75 years of service.
Haley promised to be transparent about the cost of the project as way to demonstrate the long-term value of the investment.
He said another misconception is that building the new fire station means the other four firehouses will be neglected and therefore shut down. He stressed no firehouse would be closed.
“There’s a lot of attachment and a lot of pride associated with the firehouses, but there’s also a lot of fear. And what I hope to do is take some of the fear out,” said Haley. “Tell me what you’re worried about … And how that may impact your vote. And hopefully, I can educate you onto why this is so important to us and why it is so important to all of you as a town, and how that this station is going to benefit the entire town.
Since 2019, when the town chartered a municipal fire department — the Waterford Fire Department — the five, individually-owned, fire companies have consolidated and merged all operations under the new fire department.
Haley says he is working to fully establish and build out the Waterford Fire Department as a unified entity, a process with was interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. He said