PA Fire Department Constructs New Quarters
Source Courtesy of The Daily and Sunday Review
WYSOX - It took only two days this week for volunteers to create a temporary garage big enough to house four fire trucks belonging to the Wysox Volunteer Fire Company.
The temporary garage will house the fire trucks that used to be housed in the Wysox Fire Hall, which burned down Feb. 15.
On Monday and Tuesday, volunteers converted a pavilion owned by the Wysox Fire Company into the temporary garage, Wysox Fire Chief James Mechling said. The volunteers, who came from the local community, installed steel siding and garage doors on the pavilion, Mechling said. A steel ceiling was also installed below the pavilion's roof, and insulation was installed above the ceiling. The temporary garage is heated, the fire chief said. "It's amazing what people can do," said Mechling, marveling at the speed at which the temporary garage was constructed.
At one point on Tuesday, 30 volunteers were working on the project, said Dana McNeal, who owns a construction company and helped organize the construction project.
The temporary garage was completed Tuesday, fire officials said. As of Wednesday, all four fire trucks were being housed in the structure, Mechling said. Selective Insurance, the fire company's insurance company, will pay for the materials and other expenses of building the temporary garage, Mechling said.
The temporary garage is located on the Wysox Fire Company's campus on Lake Hill Road in Wysox. Members of the Wysox Fire Company had considered converting the pavilion into a permanent garage for the fire company, but decided against it because it would not be large enough to hold all of the fire company's equipment.
The fire company has begun planning the construction of a permanent new fire hall, which would include a social hall and a garage. Now that the temporary garage has been constructed, the fire company can focus on the cleanup of the debris from the fire and can plan the construction of the fire hall, Mechling said. There is no timetable set yet for when the new fire hall will be constructed, Mechling said.
The Wysox Volunteer Fire Company is seeking donations to help pay for the construction of the new fire hall.
While Selective Insurance will pay for part of the construction costs of the new fire hall, it will not cover all of the expenses of building that structure, Mechling said.
People who wish to make a donation toward the construction of the new fire hall can make out a check to the Wysox Volunteer Fire Company, and earmark it for the construction of the new fire hall. The check should be mailed to: Wysox Volunteer Fire Company, P.O. Box 2, Wysox, PA 18854. The fire that destroyed the Wysox Fire Hall started accidentally, due to an electrical malfunction.
