The Hartville Fire Department plans to buy a manufacturing building on Nimishillen Church Street Northeast in Lake Township and convert it into a fire station.
The goal is to improve fire and EMS response times to the southeastern portion of the township, Fire Chief Richard Kamerer said Friday.
''There's a real need in that area of the community,'' he said.
The department, which provides emergency service to the village and northeastern and southeastern portions of the township, will buy the property and the 12,800-square-foot building for $700,000 from the Schumacher Lumber Co. It will cost more to convert the building, although the amount hasn't been determined, Kamerer said.
The property was appraised at $309,700 in 2003, according to the Stark County Auditor's Office. But Kamerer said other appraisals and discussions with builders put the value of the property between $400,000 and $700,000.
''We were pretty satisfied with the information we got,'' he said.
The station is expected to open early next year. It will be staffed full time with two firefighters/paramedics, and a fire truck and ambulance will be located there.
Officials have talked about the need for a station in that area since the 1980s, Kamerer said. Lake Township -- which has three private fire companies: Hartville, Greentown and Uniontown -- also has eyed buying property for a station there. Township leaders could not be reached for comment.
''The township trustees have indicated for a long time that they are concerned about coverage in the southeastern section of the township,'' said James Brooker, an attorney for the Hartville Fire Department.
The department operates now out of a single station along state Route 619 on the east side of the village. Response times to the southeastern section of the township average between five and seven minutes, compared with five minutes or less in other coverage areas, Kamerer said.
He cited increased traffic congestion in the village and township because of population growth. Nearly 26,000 people live in the township and village, southeast of Akron.
Distributed by the Associated Press
