"Response time to the north end of the town from Headquarters is too long for the fire department to effectively respond to fires, rescues and emergency medical calls, due to the nature of road configurations, speed limitations and street configurations and does not meet industry standards," continued Kanterman. [...]
Fire Station 2, a 58-year-old structure, was originally designed to be an unoccupied volunteer substation. Though the station was renovated about 25 years ago to convert it to year-round use for career firefighters, it still can only house two firefighters at a time.
Kanterman is hoping to revitalize the station to the point where, in the future, it could possibly increase its shift capacity from two to four firefighters — and possibly even six even further down the line.
However, while Kanterman says that abandonment of the station isn’t in the cards, the towns other options for the station are quickly dwindling.
At the latest meeting of the Fire Station 2 Building Committee this week, Facilities and Energy Management Director Chris Burney updated the committee on the progress being made to ameliorate the building’s two main problem areas — a safe water source and an adequate septic system.
The station’s well was declared contaminated nearly ten years ago, and ever since the station has been using two 2,000-gallon tanks for water purposes. While this source of water is potable, the firefighters prefer to drink bottled water, and overall the situation is wholly unsustainable.
To solve this problem, former Fire Commissioner Aaron Nachbar (who is also on the building committee) has been charged with finding an alternative well in the area.
Posted: Aug 5, 2016
Details News | Friday, 05 August 2016 00:00 | By Dan Veaner Lansing Fire District Treasurer George Gesslein warned fire commissioners Tuesday that staying below the state mandated tax cap will impede their ability to maintain their fleet of fire trucks.
Gesslein said that the cap would require a one cent reduction in the tax rate if commissioners choose not to override it. But he warned that the district won't have funds for future purchases if it can't maintain reserves at a sustainable level. He estimated the drop in the tax levy will cost the budget $20,000 if the cap is not overridden.
"I can find a place to squeeze it out of if you want to keep to the tax cap," he said. "My major concern is that we've got some very big apparatus purchases coming up, and I need to know whether to keep them on the capital plan schedule, or change that schedule. Because we have got to have enough money to pay for these things, rather than go out and borrow."
Gesslein noted that the district's capital equipment plan calls for new fire trucks over the next four or five years. He said that if the commissioners want to keep to that replacement schedule they will be forced to override the cap.
Fire Commission Chair Robert Wagner pointed out that with the cost of trucks going up about 5% per year, the cost of fire apparatus doubles over the lifetime the Lansing department keeps its equipment. That math turns out to be conservative - last September Deputy Chief Brad George said he expects to begin working out the specifications for a new heavy rescue truck to replace the 20 year old apparatus the department currently uses. He said it would cost at least $1.3 million plus about $250,000 of tools it will carry.
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Posted: Aug 5, 2016
A wind-driven wildfire that threatened six structures north of Orondo Thursday is now 250 acres, and 30 percent contained, a fire spokesman said.
The Foothills Fire quickly went from a three-alarm blaze to one that secured state mobilization, managed by a multi-agency Type 3 team, with access to resources from around the state, said fire spokesman Randall Rishe.
- PUB DATE: 8/5/2016 9:15:53 AM - SOURCE: Wenatchee World
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