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Fire chief asks committee to fund training facility, station design and equipment replacements
Summary
Fire department leaders presented several 2026 capital requests including design funds for a new station, a proposed training facility, Station 3 parking expansion, extrication-equipment replacement, and phased replacement of PFAS-free turnout gear.
Fire Department leaders asked the Capital Improvement Committee on July 17 to consider several multiyear capital needs, including a training facility, architectural design for a new fire station, and a mix of equipment and site improvements.
The department’s highest-priority request was for an off-site training facility that could include a three‑story training tower, classrooms and rest facilities. Presenters described multiple delivery options, including modular "Connex box" structures or a permanent building, and said costs and the need for land acquisition would vary depending on the site. "If we found the right piece of land, it would be part of the land acquisition, and then we could talk about using Connex boxes instead of a fixed facility," a department representative said.
Committee members urged the department to explore partnerships with Northcentral Technical College (NTC) and other regional training partners and to examine whether a shared public-safety training center could be sited near existing training properties to reduce duplication. Staff said prior discussions with NTC indicated support for collaboration but also noted NTC’s facilities in Merrill and constraints on their land and program commitments.
Other fire items presented for 2026 included: a Station 3 parking expansion (estimate shown in the packet as $250,000, described as a placeholder pending property availability), new extrication tools to replace aging battery-operated rescue equipment (the department has applied to FEMA and other grants but put the purchase in the CIP if grants do not materialize), continued phased replacement of PFAS-free turnout gear (13 sets per year to complete replacement over several years), and architectural design funds for the proposed new Station 1 as a necessary step before construction.
On equipment funding, staff and committee members discussed an equipment-replacement approach that would create greater parity across departments and move away from ad hoc capital requests. The department noted its 2025 allocation for equipment was about $55,000 and that large purchases (for hose, SCBA or monitors) strain that annual amount.
Ending: Department leaders said they would follow up with more detailed cost estimates, possible DPW comparisons for pavement/parking options, and additional study of partnership options for a regional or shared training facility.
