Replacement Fire Station Proposal

Current Fire Station

The current Fire and EMS Station is a shared facility with the township offices. Built in 1970 (54 years ago) the station was designed for a volunteer department with responders coming from home or work.

Today the station houses two full-time EMS/Firefighters working 24 hours a day 365 days a year and was not designed for this type of use. The station is 5320 sq ft and houses 4 fire trucks, 2 ambulances, the living/sleeping space, one office (for three people), the combined bathroom/shower/laundry room, and the combined kitchen/training/meeting/dining room.

In 2021 a Facilities Planning Committee was formed to develop short- and long-range plans for the department’s facility needs. That committee, of department staff, township residents, and board members, researched options and recommended that we construct a new facility that would meet the current needs and standards to serve the department and township for the next 50 years.

In 2023 a Feasibility Study and Report was completed by Partners in Architecture, PLC that identified numerous health and safety concerns in the current facility related to National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and Department of Defense (DOD) standards for fire stations. The study also provided a recommendation for the new stations design, size and space requirements based on the departments vision, goals, and expected future growth.

Proposed New Station

The proposed station would be built just north of the Gerrish Police Station on property already owned by the township and would allow shared space for training and storage for the two departments.

The new station would meet all current health and safety standards as per NFPA, DOD and OSHA providing for a separation of equipment and gear areas (HOT Zone) from the living spaces (COLD Zone) reducing the exposure of employees to carcinogens and other Fire and EMS related chemicals and fumes.

The 17,000 square feet station would provide space for current needs with anticipated growth over the next 50 years or more. The building will support the goals of the department with space for training, equipment, living, offices, and storage while also improving staff retention and recruitment.