Five months after voters approved a $3.5 million bond to build an addition for the Jaffrey Fire Department, site preparation is complete, and foundation work is underway.
Foundation work started about a week ago, and footings have been placed, said Fire Chief David Chamberlain. Work inside the existing building, such as new painting, flooring, and electrical upgrades, is also underway. The project has experienced delays, pushing back its anticipated completion date, which was originally set for October. Chamberlain said the construction is still anticipated to be completed before the winter.
“The current station is 45 years old, and it was designed fairly well when it was built,” said Chamberlain. “When we started looking into this expansion, we knew we wanted to know that it was good for the next 50 years.”
Voters at Town Meeting in March were overwhelmingly in favor of the project, voting 151-10 in a ballot vote to approve the bond funding the work.
“We appreciate the support, and continue to thank them for that support,” said Chamberlain. “I always say, it’s not my fire station — the taxpayers own this building, and we are just its stewards.”
The 9,690-square-foot addition includes two new locker rooms, shower facilities, two additional vehicle bays, a decontamination area, a dispatch office, an emergency operations room, a sitting area and a fitness area.
Chamberlain said the addition was designed not just for the department’s current needs, but also with a view to what the department could be in the next 50 years.
There are some things he said were needed now — namely, the showering and decontamination facilities, which are lacking in the current department.
Others, such as the bunk room and additional vehicle bays, allow the department to look forward beyond its immediate needs.
The bunk room, for example, might see occasional use by emergency personnel during extended emergencies. During the 2008 ice storm, which lasted multiple weeks and involved widespread power outages and cleanup, responders slept on cots in the meeting room. But aside from those scenarios, Chamberlain said it allows the fire department to plan for a possible future in which the department moves from a per diem model to full-time employees.
Currently, Chamberlain is the only full-time employee. The department has an on-call deputy chief, and the remaining staff responds to the station from home or work during emergencies. Chamberlain said that as the town grows, a full-time fire or EMS department isn’t out of the question, though there are no plans to go full-time right now.
The additional truck bays could allow the Jaffrey-Rindge Memorial Ambulance to house its equipment there or for a combined department in the future. Chamberlain said that’s not in discussion now, but the addition is meant to provide space for at least the next 50 years of expansion.
“And 40, 50 years down the line, who knows what that looks like?” said Chamberlain.
Earlier this month, on Aug. 6, Chamberlain attended the Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary Club meeting to present the plans for the fire station and provide some home safety education.
In addition to providing updates on the construction project, Chamberlain also spoke about the need to maintain up-to-date prevention devices such as smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. Chamberlain reminded members that detectors should be replaced at the end of their lifespan, typically between 7 and 10 years. The fire department can assist with installing new detectors, particularly for residents who are elderly or live alone.