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Next Tuesday Lansing voters will be asked to decide whether to spend 2.3 million on improvements to Central Fire Station.  The 7300 square foot, one story plan will add an additional equipment bay for an emergency vehicle, bunk rooms and facilities, storage, a kitchen, lounge, fitness room, and a decontamination room.  Fire district officials say the project will require no additional taxes.

"I don't see any additional taxes," says district Treasurer George Gesslein.  "We've been planning for this for years.  The loan amount is going to be pretty low, and we've got an extra $180,000 from selling the land.  We've got a lot of cushions."


Central Station has not had any significant work done on it since it was built 30 years ago.  The project has been part of the district's 20 year financial plan.  More than half the money is in a reserve fund, and the rest will be financed with low interest loans.  Gesslein says the district has already budgeted for the interest payments.

Three key issues are addressed by the addition.  The new equipment bay will reduce the need to shuffle fire and EMT trucks around when emergency 911 calls come in.  The new bunking facility will provide privacy for male and female bunkers, and will attract bunkers to live in the facility.  The current bunking facility is not used because it doesn't meet current building code.  That means faster response if people are actually living in the station.


Third, decontamination facilities will be separate from other parts of the station.  Currently equipment is decontaminated in the kitchen or on the floor of the equipment bays.  That means blood from victims of an emergency or chemicals from the scene of an emergency are not separate from the area where emergency responders cook food or make coffee.

Fire Commissioner Jeff Walters predicts that turnout for the vote will be low for a variety of reasons.  Key among them is that the people he has talked to are in favor of the addition.  He says that the renovation is necessary and it is a matter of spending the money now or spending more later.

"I haven't heard any negative comments from anyone," agrees Lansing Town Deputy Supervisor Connie Wilcox.  "It's an excellent investment in the community."

Walters says there will be a lot of legwork if the project passes.  It will have to be put out to bid, and if the bids come in high the project will have to be adjusted to stay within budget.

Attendance at fire district votes is typically small.  A June revote on whether to sell land in the Village of Lansing only attracted 74 voters.  The sale was approved, but by a narrow margin with 41 voting to go ahead with the sale and 33 opposed.

The vote for the Central Station addition is set for next Tuesday September 8th, from 6pm to 9pm.  If passed officials say construction won't begin until after the first of the year, and it will take one year to complete.

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