An architect has recommended that Fire District 3 replace its existing fire station in Nickerson with a new structure, at an estimated cost of just over $1.048 million.
Fire District 3 Chief Bob White presented the report and cost estimates from Landmark Architects Senior Partner Kelly McMurphy at Monday night's Nickerson City Council meeting, which was also attended by two of the three Reno County Commissioners and several other county department representatives.
The existing four-bay station was originally a gas station built in 1965, White said. The fire department took it over in 1982 and has done some remodeling since then.
The station, however, White said, is too small for modern trucks, and it has electrical wiring, plumbing and other structural issues.
"We're just fitting our trucks in," White said. "The pumper and tender are clear to the back wall and have just inches of clearance both in front and back in order to close the door. If we empty all the water out of the trucks, we can't drive them in because they're too tall."
Fire apparatus just keep getting bigger, he said, and when the district has to replace its next truck, it may not fit in the station.
"We'll have to special order to fit our bays," he said.
While he didn't present any specific dollar estimates on remodeling, a letter from McMurphy submitted with a partial report White handed the council stated that remodeling costs would be "equivalent" to building new and the district would "still not have a facility that would properly house the existing and future large fire apparatus needs of the district."
"Because of the height of the structure and the length of the structure, there are several systemic problems," McMurphy told The News. "It's not as easy as just extending the length of the building because it's not tall enough either."
The preliminary drawings show a six-bay station, with an office, training room, bathroom and shower. It includes a separate area for removing contaminated bunker gear outside of the meeting and office space, as well as a room for extraction equipment to clean the gear.
It will be almost 90% larger than the existing station, allowing for some growth, as well as cutting down on exposure by firefighters to carcinogens from their dirty clothing, White said.
The nearly 6,900 square-foot building would be similar to a pre-engineered metal building the district built in The Highlands in 2011, with a 3½% inflation factor on the cost. The estimate includes $671,000 for the new building, $80,000 to demolish the existing station, $20,000 for utilities, about $129,000 for concrete paving, and $149,000 for other project costs.
The fire district will supply $200,000 from its equipment reserves, with the rest of the project bonded by the county with likely 15-year bonds. That would require an estimated 2 to 2.5 mill levy on property within the fire district, County Administrator Gary Meagher advised the council.
It would take about six months to construct, McMurphy said. The plan is to build the new station behind the existing one and then tear the old one down. Trucks would have to be briefly stored elsewhere while a new driveway is then built.
Plans are to start the process next year, with the station in service by 2021.
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