Grand opening of Au Sable Forks Fire Department slated

AU SABLE FORKS | It's finally happening! The Au Sable Forks Fire Department is hosting a grand opening celebration for its new station on Route 9N on June 7. "Getting to this point was tough, but we worked together as a team, and we overcame the challenges along the way," said Louis Garso, fire commissioner and vice chairman of the Au Sable Forks Fire District. "A lot of people had to make personal sacrifices, but they knew we needed it, and they supported us. And again, I can't say, 'Thank you,' enough." THE DEMOCRATIC PROCESS Conversations started in 2015 about the complications of the old station and the need to find a solution. Space was the biggest concern. There wasn't enough space at the old station for all the vehicles and equipment; in fact, there was barely enough space between the vehicles and the wall. The overhead doors were also so small that the trucks had to be custom ordered. Other concerns included the lack of decontamination/recovery space, non-accessible toilet rooms and an outdated 56-year-old electrical system. "We realized at that time that we had basically outgrown the station," Garso said. "We needed to do something or else we were going to have an accident, and someone was going to get hurt." The fire district initially proposed an add-on in 2016, but it was voted down, said Garso. "Our proposal showed us that the taxpayers would rather invest in a new building rather than remodel and add on bays to the old station." So, the fire district hired Hueber Breuer Division of Fire Protection as consultants to help conduct a feasibility study and design and develop the project. A new building committee — made up of fire commissioners and community members — was formed to find a new location and devise a station design that would meet the future fire department's projected needs. In October 2021, a vote was conducted on a $5.9 million bond issue, which was approved by the taxpayers even though district residents would need to pay an added $107 for every $100,000 in assessed value on their annual tax bill. "And once we had the OK," Garso said, "this project started to roll forward." OUT FOR BID After reviewing the feasibility study recommendations, Napierala Consulting and LaBella Associates were hired to plan, design and build the station. The project went out to bid in fall 2022, but the initial bids were over budget by $1.2 million. "All bids were rejected, and the committee got back to work examining the project to see where we could possibly take some cost-cutting measures and not affect our overall goal of a safe environment for our members to operate from," Garso said. "One apparatus bay was eliminated, [...] and other measures were adopted to reduce the cost." The project would be bid in three parts — Base Bid, which included the apparatus bay and installation of utilities in the admin/community side; Alternated Bid #1 to complete the left side of the admin/community portion of the station; and Alternate Bid #2 to complete the right side of the admin/community portion of the station. The project went out to public vote, and taxpayers approved the construction bond of $5.9 million. THE NEW STATION After viewing numerous possible locations, the committee decided to build the new station on Route 9N on land donated by SS & J Northeast Development. Construction started in May 2023, and the Base Bid portion of the project was completed this May. The new station, designed to mimic the exterior look of an Adirondack Great Camp, comes with 20-foot ceilings and 16-foot doors, plenty of room for a firetruck to fit. "At the old station, we were limited to 13 inches in height, so all of these trucks had to be special ordered so that they fit in the door," Garso said. "But today, we don't have to worry about that anymore." There's also plenty of space to maneuver between the vehicles and two washing stations to wash them. "The other drains at the other station were so old that we couldn't unplug them anymore. So, we couldn't wash fire trucks in the station; they had to be washed outside, no matter the weather," Garso said. "Now, they can be washed in here." Other amenities include a radio room, a contamination room, an area for firefighter bailout training, an SCBA (self-contained breathing apparatus) charging station and more. The building, which is ADA compliant, also comes with Wi-Fi and a state-of-the-art speaker system. "Our old station didn't meet ADA compliance standards, and it was important for us to have a station that everyone can come to," Garso said. "That was very important to us, and we were able to accomplish that with our new station." THE ADMIN/COMMUNITY SIDE The admin/community side is still under construction. "After reviewing the bids, we could only afford to build out the [...] apparatus bays, which was our primary goal of a safe operating environment for our members," Garso said. "We would have to finish off completion of the [...] admin/community side until money was available." Construction has at least started on the admin/community side, with room partitions in place and electricity, heating and plumbing roughed in. The goal is to complete that portion of the station this fall, an estimated $250,000 to $300,000 project. Until the admin/community side is completed, the old station will be used as office space and for storage, Garso said. "No decision has been made at this time as to the future of the old station." However, once complete, this area of the station will consist of two offices, one for the fire chief and the other for assistant chiefs and business officers to conduct business; ADA-compliant bathrooms; a day room where the members can relax, eat and congregate; and a kitchen with a very special coffee, juice and dessert bar that was dedicated to Alfred "Butch" Rougeau, who was a dedicated member of the Au Sable Forks Fire Department for over 55 years and Au Sable Forks Volunteer Ambulance Service for over 50 years. "Al was an icon of the fire department," Garson said. "We wanted to memorialize him." THE GRAND OPENING The Au Sable Forks Fire Department is hosting a grand opening celebration on June 7 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The event will kick off with opening remarks by the chief, chairman and town supervisors, followed by a blessing, mission statement, dedication and the traditional fire truck push and hose uncoupling. Hamburgers, hot dogs and ice cream from Stewart's Shops will be served. Activities will include station/firetruck tours, rides, a cornhole tournament and a raffle for a Lottery Truck (firetruck covered in lottery tickets), a fully stocked cooler of cheer and more — one of many fundraisers to come to help pay for the completion of the station. The fire district will be running fundraisers and seeking help from the community to finish the station. "The community uses the station a lot, so we want to make it available to them as soon as we can, and we're working as fast as we can to make that happen," Garso said. "Again, it's crucial to us."

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Grand opening of Au Sable Forks Fire Department slated

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