Western Lewis County Fire Protection District is taking steps to expand the fire station in Steffenville. The district has been seeking bids from contractors to add a 20-foot-by-36-foot bay onto the existing fire house. The work is expected to be completed by June 1.
Fire Chief Harry Scifres said once the additional bay is finished, the district will be able to buy a new pumper-tanker truck that can be used to fight fires.
The truck would replace a 44-year-old pumper that can hold only 600 gallons of water. Capacity of the new truck would be about 1,500 gallons, helpful when fighting fires in remote areas where water might not be readily available.
"We have a shortage of water down here," Scifres said. "We're about 15 miles from anybody."
"Any trucks you get now are a lot taller" than older trucks used by many rural fire departments, Scifres said.
That's why the district needs to build the extra bay onto the fire station. The new bay will not be appreciably longer than the current bays, but it will have significantly more clearance overhead so the district will be able to park the new truck inside.
Scifres said fire officials plan to begin shopping for the new pumper tanker in coming weeks. He said the district hopes to find a used vehicle in good condition at a reasonable price.
The firehouse expansion program will be financed with part of the proceeds from a $188,000 bond issue approved by district voters in April 2015.