Sean C. Morgan
Of The New Era
The Sweet Home Fire and Ambulance District has abandoned plans to remodel Station 22, the Foster substation.
The project was among those proposed as part of a $1.575 million bond levy approved by voters in 2016. The six-year bond levy costs 31 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value.
District officials had hoped to add a third vehicle bay to the substation, 1390 47th Ave. The plan also included living quarters for the possible future assignment of medics to the station.
Fire Chief Dave Barringer said the cost of the project was too high, and the bond would not cover it.
“It would eat up all of our money,” said Assistant Chief Doug Emmert. “It went to the board (of directors), and we’re not going to do the remodel as planned.”
The remaining funding will be broken up to pay for a few other projects to help with storage problems, Emmert said. The district is moving forward with plans to remodel the living quarters and a new building with vehicle bays at Station 21, the Fire Hall, 1099 Long St.
The idea at the main station is to make the living quarters a little more user-friendly, he said, and to address gender compatibility.
Emmert said officials think they can get both of the projects done with bond funding, but they still must figure out alternatives for Station 22. Those may include new siding on the existing building and a covered parking area for the third vehicle at Station 22, he said.
Station 22 provides quicker responses to emergencies on the east end of Sweet Home, he said. “We built in anticipation that the city of Sweet Home was going to move out to the area.”
Responding from Station 22 gives firefighters a five-minute head start on response, Emmert said, and particularly addresses the high number of visitors out at the lakes and rivers east of Sweet Home.
That five minutes can make a big difference, he said. That’s why the district was hoping to make living quarters available at the station for use in the future.
At this time, six to 10 volunteers respond to calls through the station, which has one engine, one tender and a brush rig available. Emmert said. Once three volunteers are at the station, they can staff and respond to a call with a fire engine.
The bond levy has replaced two ambulances, a rescue unit and the battalion chief’s response vehicle. It’s also paid for equipment, like Jaws of Life extrication tools.
“It’s been a great deal,” Emmert said. “We’ve always been a department that’s tight on money. We can operate, but any extras, there’s no way we can rely on that. I think we’ve been able to meet everything we needed to.”