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Fire district continues with plans for station
CANFIELD
Cardinal Joint Fire District is moving forward with design plans for the new station on Herbert Road.
“We are finalizing the design of the building, but it all comes down to the exact pricing,” said Don Hutchison, Cardinal Joint Fire District Chief. “We have a number we are going to go with, but we may have to change to a more-basic design depending on the board’s decision.”
Hutchison said he hopes to go out to bid for the building’s construction by March or April.
John Morvay, councilman and fire district board chairman, said the board has been going back and forth with the architect who determines what the building is going to look like and how much it is going to cost.
“We are getting close,” Morvay said. “The price is in the neighborhood of about $2 million.”
The large cost of the new fire station is offset by the potential lowering of insurance costs for Canfield residents.
The fire board works with Insurance Services Office to improve rates, which are reflected in insurance costs for residents. The lower the rate, the lower the insurance cost should be.
ISO ratings are dependent upon risk assessments regarding safety and accessibility to emergency personnel and equipment.
“Last year, we worked with them [ISO] in improving those rates the fire district gets in the township and the city,” Morvay said. “A while back, the ISO rated the city a 4 and the township a 9. In working with the ISO, we were able to get it [the township rating] from a 9 to a 6 in most areas of the township. ... That should’ve affected insurance rates for those residents.”
Morvay said he strives to stay in front of the ISO and have good coverage and good response times – the new fire station could do that.
“As Canfield grows, we have to stay ahead of the game and look for what we want to look like in five years, and what Canfield’s going to look like in five years,” Morvay said.
Both Hutchison and Morvay said they are expecting to break ground for the building by early summer.
“We are hoping to get it going as soon as possible,” Hutchison said.
Morvay said he hopes to have the building completed by November.