The Fairbanks North Star Borough Assembly voted 8-0 on Aug. 14 to appropriate $1 million from the University Fire Service Area fund balance to the capital projects fund for an expansion of University Fire Station 12.

Emergency operations staff said the supplemental appropriation will allow the project to include an additional apparatus bay, an entry vestibule to free internal meeting space, exterior canopies and paint, and a rear covered pad. The University Fire Service Area Commission approved the additional appropriation at a June 4 meeting; staff reported the service area's fund balance is about $6 million.

Deputy Chief Scott Raygor, identified himself as deputy chief for the University Fire Department, testified in favor of approving two bid alternates that would add the apparatus bay and vestibule. He said that because the department provides service to the South Van Horn area — which has a limited water supply and relies on water tender shuttle operations — locating the water tender closer to that response area reduces response times. Raygor said moving the tender from the campus to the station would save several minutes of response time, which can be critical for growing structure fires.

The Assembly approved the appropriation unanimously. Administration and fire staff said construction is underway on the main station project and that the additional funds would be used to award alternates and add the described features to make Station 12 functionally complete for modern fire response.