Authorities are investigating the cause of an early Friday morning apartment fire that killed one man in Shoreline. Investigators said a man in his 60's or 70's in an upper unit at the Autumn Ridge Apartments was found unresponsive inside. Emergency crews said he died at the scene. The fire was contained to one unit and extinguished, authorities said.
- PUB DATE: 10/15/2021 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: KOMO-TV ABC 4 Seattle

According to a consultant’s report delivered to Camas and Washougal city council members this month, in order to meet the needs of current and future Camas and Washougal residents, the cities’ joint fire department will need to replace two fire stations and build a third within the next 10 years. “We projected out to 50 years from now to meet the needs of Camas and Washougal,” Cathy Bowman, the project manager for Mackenzie, the consultant group hired by Camas in early 2021 to conduct a capital facilities plan for the Camas-Washougal Fire Department (CWFD) told Camas City Council members on Oct.
- PUB DATE: 10/15/2021 12:00:00 AM - SOURCE: Camas-Washougal Post Record

A report states that the cities’ joint fire department will need to replace two fire stations and build a third within the next 10 years, reports Camas-Washougal Post-Record.

The report presented to city councils recommends:

• Replacing the downtown Camas-based CWFD headquarters — which consultants warned does not currently meet the guidelines for “an essential facility” and would not withstand a major earthquake — in the next two to three years;
• Replacing the Washougal fire station in the next five to seven years; and
• Building a third fire station in Camas within the next 10 years.

City leaders will consider options to fund the necessary fire department facility needs, including increasing fire impact fees; asking voters to approve construction bonds, a public-safety sales tax and/or an excess levy; and selling surplus land.

The Springfield Fire Department broke ground Thursday for the city’s 13^th fire station in the 1900 block of West College Street. The new fire station will be operational by fall 2022.

Funding for the new station, which has a project budget of $3.15 million, will be provided by the voter-approved Level Property Tax, which was renewed by Springfield voters in 2017.

“We are keeping our promise to Springfield voters,” said Fire Chief David Pennington.  

The tax, which generates about $8.5 million per year, is also funding the replacements of fire stations 7 at 2129 E. Sunshine and 4 at 2423 N. Delaware, improvements to Fire Station 10 at 2245 E. Galloway St., and the brand-new Fire Station 14 at the northeast corner of West Chestnut Expressway and North Duke Avenue scheduled for construction in 2026. 

Fire Station 4

Construction began in April for the nearly $3 million project to replace Fire Station 4. The rebuilt station be operational in spring/early summer 2022. The old station, which was built in 1968, had long exceeded its usefulness. 

Improvements to Fire Station 10

Construction began July 12 for improvements to Fire Station 10 at 2245 E. Galloway St., which was built in 1979. The newly renovated station will be operational by January 2022. The $644,000 project will include renovation of the station’s kitchen, dining and living room spaces, physical fitness areas and sleeping quarters. The station’s laundry areas will also be updated to allow for the proper inspection, cleaning, drying and storage of turnout gear (firefighter protective clothing).

Fire Station 7

Demolition and construction to replace Fire Station 7, which was built in 1958 at 2129 E. Sunshine, will begin in spring 2022 and be operational by 2023. The total budget for the project is just over $3 million.

Fire Station 14

Construction for the brand-new Fire Station 14 at the northeast corner of West Chestnut Expressway and North Duke Avenue is planned as part of a 2026 bond package made possible by the Level Property Tax. The estimated cost for the project is not yet known.

“I am very excited about building two new fire stations in underserved areas of Springfield, both of which have high fire risk,” said Pennington. “These new stations will reduce the amount of travel time for our fire crews to reach emergencies in these areas.” 

ringfield News-Leader.

Finishing touches are underway on a new headquarters that will replace a 56-year-old auditorium space, reports News Channel Nebraska.

The fire department posted to Facebook, “Join us to celebrate the newly constructed Beatrice Fire Station with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Saturday, October 23, 2021 beginning at 10:00 a.m. An open house and fire station tours will follow.”

Voters paved the way for the project with approval of an extra half-cent onto the local sales tax. A government official said the project has gone well, despite some delays that many projects have experienced during supply shortages.

Other city departments will be able to use the older fire bay space, for storage of vehicles.