Jonathan Saccoccio, a project architect, and Cory Frehsee, a civil engineer and partner, both of Steven & Associates, presented four proposed designs to about 40 town residents in the elementary school’s cafeteria Tuesday. Before the meeting, residents squeezed themselves between engines and trucks during an open house for the current station on Church Street.

The four proposals range in estimated cost from between $1.85 million to about $4 million. Saccoccio said those numbers represent a wide range to encompass all the eventualities, but the true cost won’t be known until the design process proceeds.

The current 40-year-old building lacks adequate space for vehicle maintenance and storage, and could hamper a quicker response to an emergency, Saccoccio said.

The first design would be the most expensive, but Saccoccio said it represents the ideal modern fire station. Located on the same site, it would have four bays that could fit two trucks stacked one behind the other each, plus office and training space around the perimeter.

Station 31 is new altogether and is located at 1061 Collins Hill Road in Lawrenceville, across from the campus of Georgia Gwinnett College.

"The strategic location of the fire station will provide quick access to the Highway 316 corridor and puts fire and emergency medical personnel close to the college and surrounding neighborhoods and businesses," Gwinnett fire Capt. Tommy Rutledge said in a news release.

Upon arrival at Mid American Energy, the Muscatine Fire Department was told that a contracted worker was stuck in an industrial elevator basket in a 621' chimney. The employee was trapped at about 230 feet high.

Muscatine Fire’s Hazardous Incident Response Team was able to lower a fire department rescuer to the trapped worker through a rigging system. Both the worker and the rescuer were then lowered from the basket to a series of catwalks, and eventually the ground level. The entire rescue took about six hours in extreme heat and low visibility.

"This was an extremely dangerous and critical high angle rope rescue that was performed for the first time under these conditions at these heights outside of departmental training events," Muscatine Fire Chief Jerry Ewers said in a statement.

Only one fire fighter sustained a small injury during the rescue. The trapped worker was dehydrated and exhausted but otherwise uninjured.

According to the Muscatine Fire Chief, the department was assisted by the Grandview Fire Department, Louisa County Ambulance, and the Louisa County Sheriff Department. Approximately 11 Muscatine fire fighters responded to the high angle rescue; several off duty fire fighters responded to staff the main fire station and responded and handled several medical emergencies, out-of-town ambulance transfers, and one structure fire.