Residents listened December 15 at the Orland Community Center to current and former fire leaders lay out issues with the existing fire department and explain why a new $4 million building is being proposed, EllsworthAmerican.com reported.
Residents will vote on whether to borrow money for a new station in a special town meeting referendum February 1 at the community center. Polls will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
The fire officials claim the current station is becoming non-functional and that the city must find a way of providing adequate fire protection and emergency response, the report said.
The Orland Fire Station Committee examined the following five options:
• Do nothing.
• Eliminate the Orland Fire Department and contract services out with neighboring towns.
• Repair and renovate the existing building (estimated at $1 million).
• Demolish all or part of the existing building and rebuild in the same location.
• Build a new fire station in a new location.
The only plan that made sense, according to the committee, is building a new station in a new location on town-owned property, which will be at the Orland transfer station, the report said.