Rick McCrabb
Journal-News, Hamilton, Ohio
(TNS)

Mar. 23—MIDDLETOWN — The cost of building and furnishing four fire stations in Middletown is burning out of control.

Originally thought to cost $16.9 million, the cost to construct fire stations has increased to $19.8 million in January and now the total cost, including “soft costs,” is estimated at $26.6 million, according to firms that made presentations Tuesday night during the City Council meeting.

The increases are being blamed due to inflation and cost of building materials, according to projections from App Architecture, the Englewood firm hired to perform the designs.

In May 2022, voters overwhelmingly approved a 1-mill property tax levy to fund the building of the fire stations. At the time, the levy was expected to generate enough revenue to replace the city’s aging fire stations and headquarters.

The city was always going to pay for furnishing the fire stations.

In the last 12 to 18 months, the cost of goods has continued to rise and the inflation is impacting the cost of the fire stations that are expected to last 50 to 60 years.

City Council agreed to spend about $5 million out of its capital reserve budget at its January work session, but it’s unclear how the city will fund the additional $5 million to construct and equip the four stations.

These estimates include construction costs ($23.4 million), construction contingencies ($617,000) and “soft costs” ($2.6 million), according to the presenters.

City Manager Paul Lolli said once the city has received “more concrete, exact numbers” on total construction costs, City Council will hold a work session to discuss possible solutions.

“We will make this work,” said Lolli, the city’s former fire chief.

He promised residents the city would make “good, informed decisions.”

City leaders, including Fire Chief Tom Snively, said they’re considering ways to offset the funding gap. Snively said the department has applied for a Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant, but those funds are only eligible for personnel.

The Middletown Division of Fire, which is responding to more calls for service with fewer firefighters, hopes to receive a to fund the hiring of eight firefighters and one lieutenant.

Council member Rodney Muterspaw, the city’s former police chief, said he wanted to assure residents who supported the fire levy that “extravagant” fire stations aren’t being built.

Mayor Nicole Condrey said it makes her “sick to my stomach” when she thinks about the rising costs of everything, not just the fire stations, at a time when employees are receiving small percentage raises.

Tim Bement from App Architecture said his firm also is working on building four stations in Springfield. Like Middletown, that city is dealing with rising construction costs, he said.

Handling construction costs is “a real challenge,” he said.

In January, City Council approved an agreement with Pepper Construction Co. of Ohio to serve as construction manager at-risk. The company will be paid no more than $2,984,000 out of the fire levy fund, according to the staff report.

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ESTIMATED COSTS OF MIDDLETOWN’S FOUR FIRE STATIONS — New fire headquarters location replacing the 1.38-acre site on Roosevelt Boulevard: A 3.6-acre site at Yankee Road and Cherry Street owned by the city as acquired from the Middletown City Schools and former site of Garfield school. Size: 24,300 square feet. Total cost: $10.5 million. — Station No. 81 loc

Apparatus Ideas Bob Vaccaro

The Medford (NY) Volunteer Fire Department, located in Suffolk County, is like most fire departments on Long Island.

Its response district is made up of numerous strip shopping centers, a few big box stores, lots of schools, light industrial complexes, condos, apartments, and single-family dwellings. It covers 10.8 square miles with a population of approximately 25,000.

To cover the needs of the community, the department responds out of three strategically located stations.

“The department decided to go with a second ladder truck, a quint, to catch up with other departments in the area,” says First Assistant Chief Kevin Hoffman. “ We felt that ordering a quint gave us the best of both worlds. This ladder responds out of a centrally located headquarters station and can operate as an engine if needed since it will respond first due on all structural fires and miscellaneous alarms, especially during daytime hours.” Hoffman adds his department, like most others, is experiencing reduced staffing, and he’s hoping the new quint will help relieve that dilemma.

Medford started planning for the new apparatus before the COVID-19 pandemic, and the specifications were drafted in January 2021 with bids following, according to Hoffman.

“Spartan met all of our specs and we decided to go with them again for this build,” he says. “We had dealt with Spartan and its local dealer, Hendrickson Fire Rescue Equipment, with several past apparatus purchases, so we were familiar with their operations.” He adds it was the sixth Spartan/Smeal purchase the department has made.

In July 2021, Hoffman and the district mechanic traveled to Spartan’s plant in Michigan for the cab and chassis inspection and traveled to the Smeal plant in Snyder, NE, for a midway inspection in December 2021 followed by a final inspection in April 2022, Hoffman says. “We were really impressed with both plants and the overall outcome of the vehicle,” Hoffman says.