Following Wednesday’s ground-breaking ceremony, the new West Fargo Fire Department headquarters is set to be complete in fall 2023.

The total cost of the project is $18.5 million, and it will be funded through capital improvement sales tax, cash reserves, and a $10 million bond. The new, modern fire station will allow the department to add additional staff and fire apparatus to respond to the over 300% increase in calls for service since 2017. It will further the City of West Fargo’s goals of reaching an Insurance Services Office rating of class one, which helps reduce the cost of property insurance for residents and businesses.

The new station will feature a public component with a training room, lobby, and education center. This will serve as both administrative space and increase capacity for community risk reduction programs, outreach, and engagement.

The addition of a hose-drying tower and training tower will allow crews to practice life-saving skills such as rappelling, ladder training, hose advancement drills, and more. As the fire station is near a residential area, a segmented fence will provide a buffer from the lights and equipment in use.

New Headquarters Site: 1201 10th Ave. E.

Fort Garry—District of Lake Country (BC, Canada) tanker. Freightliner M2 106 cab and chassis; Detroit Diesel DD8 375-hp engine; Hale MBP 1,000-gpm pump; Waterax Mark 3 portable pump; CoPoly 2,400-gallon water tank Elkhart Sidewinder EXM monitor with TFT 18-inch electric tele-pipe; Newton stainless steel swivel dump valve; OnSpot tire chains. Dealer: Fire Power Emergency Apparatus/Fort Garry Fire Trucks, Nanaimo, BC, Canada.

MORE FIRE APPARATUS ARTICLES>>

The Cariboo Regional District (CRD) is looking to replace an engine for approximately C$545,000 for the Bouchie Lake (B.C., Canada) Volunteer Fire Department and has launched an alternative approval process (AAP) to do so.

According to an FAQ page on its website, “one of the Bouchie Lake Volunteer Fire Department’s fire trucks is due for replacement in 2022 in order to meet certification requirements. The CRD thinks the best purchasing option is through a 10-year debt-financing model and needs permission to enter into debt financing arrangements that exceed five years in term.”

The apparatus will cost approximately C$545,000. If adopted, the bylaw authorizes the borrowing of up to C$550,000 to be repaid over 10 years, the website notes.

“Traditionally, the CRD has replaced fire trucks through five-year capital leases,” the district says. “By financing these purchases instead, with 10-year equipment loans issued by the Municipal Finance Authority (MFA), the required payments can be spread over a greater period. This will decrease short-term cash requirements and lessen the need for tax increases or borrowing to fund a future truck purchase.

“Financing the truck purchase with 5-year equipment loan requires total debt servicing payments of approximately C$328,613 over the five years in the current 2022-2026 Five Year Financial plan. Financing the purchase with 10-year debt financing would require debt servicing payments of C$168,617 over the same five years in the current 2022-2026 Five Year Financial Plan.”

If at least 10% (184) submit an Elector Response Form, the district would purchase the truck through the five-year financing model.

More information about the fire truck replacement project–and to vote by the July 5 deadline–click here.

There’s good news and bad news for fans of local Danville sports teams that are on the cusp of a championship. The good: Your team is about to win the title, hooray! The bad: The ensuing championship parade will be without the customary fire trucks until the price of diesel fuel drops.

According to a report in dailyitem.com, borough fire officials said that it’s become too expensive to include the apparatus in parades with fuel prices climbing upward of $6 per gallon. The trucks only get about five miles per gallon.

The trucks had been leading the parade for every championship team in every sport Danville has, if requested. It’s especially bad news for the local girls lacrosse team, which just won the District 4/6 Class 2A title, the report says.

Officials say each of the four fire companies in the borough fire department receives an allocation of $4,500 a year from the borough, which isn’t strictly for fuel.

The fire companies still plan to participate in the Memorial Day Parade though, the report says.