Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Safety Infrastructure topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Yukon fire department wins grant for three-story training tower; council to accept grant and vendor bid Feb. 18
Summary
Fire Chief Sean Voigt told the council the department received an OEM grant that, combined with capital funds, will substantially reduce the city's outlay for a planned three-story training tower. Staff will bring the grant acceptance, the winning bid and a contract to the Feb. 18 council meeting.
The Yukon Fire Department has received an Oklahoma Office of Emergency Management grant to help fund a three-story training tower, Fire Chief Sean Voigt told the City Council on February 2025.
"On Monday, February 3, we received notice from OEM that we received the training tower grant," Voigt said. He told the council the tower was included in the capital budget and that the OEM grant reduces the city's expected capital outlay.
Voigt said the city budgeted $443,000 for the tower in its capital plan and that the department’s grant award totals $542,000. He said the department issued a request for proposals, hosted a pre-bid meeting and received at least one bid that meets specifications. Voigt said he will bring the OEM grant acceptance, the training-tower bid and a contract with the approved vendor to the council meeting on Feb. 18 for approval so the city can begin work.
The tower design is three stories and will support high-angle and multi-story victim-rescue training, rappelling drills and other live-fire and rescue exercises that the department currently simulates indoors. Voigt said the department is also discussing site concrete improvements to allow fire apparatus to operate around the tower for more realistic training.
Council members asked about optional add-ons and about the amount of capital funding available. Voigt said the grant and the capital line allow for some add-ons such as concrete pads to position trucks around the tower, but that some options in vendor discussions would have doubled the originally budgeted cost. He said the OEM grant substantially reduces the city’s out-of-pocket expense compared with the capital allocation as originally written.
Ending: Voigt said he expects to present the finalized grant acceptance and vendor contract for council approval at the Feb. 18 meeting so work can begin promptly.
