The Village of Hobart (WI) – Government Page posted the following news release on its Facebook page Thursday:

NEW FIRE STATION TO BREAK GROUND IN SPRING

Later this spring, the Village of Hobart will break ground on a new fire station, replacing the existing outdated facility on South Pine Tree Road. This will be the first time in a generation that a major, new building will be constructed to serve the Village Operations. The project will, in an ideal environment, be completed later this spring, and likely be operational come next winter. It will be a marked improvement in our commitment to public safety, with a number of secondary benefits.

The current facility traces its history back to the early 1960s, when the voters of the Town of Hobart approved plans to build an addition to the existing Town Hall, with an estimated budget between $9-15,000. The addition was needed to house two pieces of firefighting equipment, following the merger of the Hobart and Oneida Fire Departments to form a single unit. To say we have certainly received our money’s worth on that initial investment would be an understatement.

In the sixty years since that addition, the Town has grown significantly in terms of population and the amount of property that needed protection. The Town itself has changed – becoming a Village two decades ago. Additionally, prices have gone up – the new fire station was approved late last year by the Village Board, with a budget of $4.8 million. Bayland Buildings was hired to design and bid out the project – and they will serve as project manager as construction is underway.

The new building will serve as more than just simply a fire station. We are exploring the possibility of it being a polling place in time for the 2024 election season. In the event of a catastrophe involving our current Village office, we would use the building as an emergency operational center. We are investing in a new severe weather siren to serve the southern half of the Village. We have also been aiming to locate an ambulance unit or personnel at the station in the future.

If our track record is maintained, we hope the residents of Hobart, circa 2080, will look back on our work with appreciation and pride as they start planning the next fire station. We look forward to welcoming all of you to the groundbreaking and Open House events in the next several months, as we welcome a new home for our dedicated volunteer Fire Department.

– Village Administrator Aaron Kramer

WALNUT CREEK, Calif. (AP) — A Tesla driver was killed and a passenger was critically injured Saturday when the car plowed into a fire truck that was parked on a Northern California freeway to shield a crew clearing another accident, fire officials said.

Four firefighters who were in the truck when it was struck on Interstate 680 were treated for minor injuries, said Tracie Dutter, assistant chief of the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District.

The driver was declared dead at the scene, Dutter said. The car needed to be cut open to remove the passenger, who was taken to the hospital.

Photos showed the front end of the car was crushed and the $1.4 million ladder truck was damaged.

California Highway Patrol Officer Adam Lane said it was not clear whether the driver may have been intoxicated or whether the Tesla Model S was operating with automation or driving assistance features.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is investigating how Tesla’s Autopilot system detects and responds to emergency vehicles parked on highways. At least 14 Teslas have crashed into emergency vehicles while using the system.

Read more

• 129
• 0
• Article rating: No rating