Residents View Cramped Quarters in Ohio Firehouse

April 29, 2014
To fit the pumper in, Townsend Township firefighters have to take the deck gun off the top.

April 29--TOWNSEND TOWNSHIP -- It's a tight fit in the Townsend Township fire station -- for the crew, its equipment and trucks. No matter where you are.

That's why the Townsend Township Renewal committee hosted an open house Sunday for the community, so residents could see for themselves just how badly the area needs a new fire station/township hall facility.

"The pumper clears the doors by just inches," firefighter Sam McCall said.

When the truck backs into the station, McCall said the wheels have to go exactly within the marked lines on the paved floor, otherwise the massive vehicle will hit something. There are only centimeters to spare between the now faded yellow lines and the tires of the tanker.

To fit the pumper in the cramped quarters, firefighters have to take the deck gun off the top. Even by doing that, there's less than a foot gap between the very top of the truck and the ceiling. And that doesn't count the even smaller space between the lights mounted on the top of the truck and those hanging from the ceiling.

McGinn

Firefighters have to pull out the trucks to clean or service them. Committee chairman John Liles said these all are reasons why the Townsend Township trustees have decided to try to have a new fire station/township hall facility built.

Officials don't have an estimated cost and need to collect estimates and the necessary permits, but the new facility would be just north of the present one, located at 2776 U.S. 20.

"We have decided to get (the issue) on the ballot. If we can't get it on in November, it would go on next May," Liles said. "We hopefully want to get it on the November ballot."

The new building has several components. The fire station would be 80 feet by 80 feet. The middle section

-- which includes a kitchen, bathrooms, a training room and trustee meeting room -- is planned to be 40 feet by 80 feet. The town hall portion would be 40 feet by 60 feet. In total, Liles said the building would be 160 feet long.

"It's going to benefit the community," committee member Stephen Novak said. "It's going to get them better fire service and better fellowship with the town hall."

The plans for the new complex also could accommodate a common space for a substation for the Huron County Sheriff's Office. Also, Liles and Novak said the middle portion is "properly positioned" for dormitory space if the township authorizes full-time firefighters in the future.

"It can expand to the east," Liles said, referring to the fire station.

Liles said it's also possible Citizen Ambulance Service Inc. could house ambulances at the new station. Citizen Ambulance is based at 19 E. Railroad St. in Wakeman.

"In the future, they might want to come here," Liles said.

The township hall was built in 1870. The Townsend Township Volunteer Department, established in 1945, had its station built the following year. The current facility combines the two complexes.

Conversations about a new facility started about three years ago.

"Equipment is getting bigger. Getting everything in the building is a problem because it's not big enough," Liles said.

Five trucks are parked in the fire station. The field-fire truck is parked with inches to spare between the tanker and another truck, which face opposite garage doors. In another township building is a sixth truck.

Firefighters and Liles said the crew has to swap out trucks for access and the crew has to shimmy between the front of the trucks and the closed garage doors. Also, firefighters said it's not unusual to wait in line outside when changing into or out of their equipment due to the narrow space between the hall holding the gear and the parked trucks.

So far, Liles said the community has been "very supportive" about the new facility.

Copyright 2014 - Norwalk Reflector, Ohio

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