Township unveils upgraded firehouses

By JOHN W. GOODWIN JR.
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
BOARDMAN -- After months of planning and construction, township officials were to show residents today what $1.6 million dollars of their money has paid for in new construction and renovations at two fire station.
Trustees and fire department officials were hosting open houses for the public at the newly built fire house on South Avenue from 3 to 5 p.m. today and at the remodeled and expanded Shields Road station from 2 to 3 p.m. today.
The township has three fire stations. No renovations were made to the main fire station on U.S. Route 224, but fire officials say discussion of upgrades at that location might be coming.
Officials will also have a new $43,000 fire prevention trailer on display. The trailer, Fire Chief James Dorman said, will be used to teach kids fire prevention and how to properly escape a home that is filled with smoke.
Dorman said U.S. Rep. Ted Strickland of Lisbon, D-6th, was to be on hand at the open houses. The Veterans of Foreign Wars donated a flag to the South Avenue station.
Raised concerns
Dorman said remodeling started months ago when he approached trustees with concerns about the Shields Road station.
"This station was a run-down disaster, and I said we need to fix it up and paint it," he said. "Trustees decided to step back and say let's not only remodel these stations but make them the fire stations for our future."
Much of the Shields Road structure was saved. An addition to the building nearly doubled its size. The former South Avenue building was demolished, and a much larger building put in its place.
Dorman said the stations were designed to be similar in layout and equipment. The main difference is the larger rooms and overall larger size of the South Avenue station.
The Shields Road station has two private bathrooms with showers and another room that can readily be made into an extra bathroom. The South Avenue station has three private baths with showers and space to add another.
Both stations have large living rooms and kitchens with three refrigerators and shelving to accommodate the three shifts of firefighters partially living in the buildings. There are also weight/exercise rooms at each station.
The future
Dorman said one of the main goals in upgrading the buildings was to make sure there would be room for an expanded fire department staff in the future. He said each station normally has three firefighters on each of three shifts, but trustees could change that.
"We just wanted to make it large enough that if fire emergencies increase, trustees, in the future, can say they want three more guys in there," he said. "To remodel for just three guys, you're not thinking for the future at all."
Both fire stations have private sleeping room for up to six individuals. Only four of the rooms at each station are being used as sleeping quarters with the other rooms being used for storage or other purposes until more firefighters are added to the township rolls.
Dorman said work to the Shields Road station totaled about $460,000. He said the new South Avenue building cost about $1.2 million.
jgoodwin@vindy.com