Wells workshop reviews $6 million plan to expand substation, house EMS amid lease deadline
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Summary
Town officials and consultants reviewed a draft plan to expand Substation 2 in Wells to add ambulance bays, bunk and training space and to house town EMS (WIMS/WEMS). Presenters estimated roughly $6 million for construction and site work, flagged a needed 30,000‑gallon cistern and urged fast action because of a lease timeline for EMS service in March 2027.
A draft facilities study presented at a Town of Wells workshop laid out plans to expand the Route 1 substation so it can house the town's EMS service while adding ambulance bays, bunkrooms and a multipurpose training area.
"The existing substation is just shy of 5,000 square feet," said Speaker 5, the project presenter, describing the firm’s 20‑year space program that targets about 17,546 square feet in total — roughly 12,000–12,500 square feet of new construction beyond the existing building. The design preserves the current apparatus footprint while adding a double‑loaded ambulance bay and a single bay with additional support space behind the apparatus.
Why it matters: presenters and several board members said Wells faces an urgent operational need to re‑site or house its EMS crews because of a lease timeline and rising call volumes. Speaker 4 warned the board that WEMS could be "out" of its current space as of March 2027 if the lease is not extended, increasing pressure to either accelerate a project or secure short‑term housing.
Design and site tradeoffs: the plan prioritizes reuse to lower costs — existing showers, toilets and a decon area would be repurposed — but constrained site conditions require infrastructure changes. "We would have to do a 30,000 gallon cistern to basically support a fire suppression system," Speaker 5 said. The team also recommended relocating an existing septic field and removing a lightly used auto impound to create room for growth.
Program elements: the conceptual interior separates "dirty" (red), "warm" (yellow) and "clean" (green) zones to control contamination flow, locates turnout gear adjacent to apparatus bays and programs six bunks, a fitness room and an open kitchen/dayroom near the apparatus. The study notes an office/medical triage room accessible from a vestibule that could remain open 24/7.
Capacity questions and alternatives: presenters said the town has four ambulances total; "One's at the main station, and three will be at the substation," Speaker 5 said. Several board members questioned concentrating assets near existing facilities and urged a location study or heat‑mapping to avoid leaving southern areas with long response times. Speaker 2 cautioned that response rates in some outlying areas can be lengthy — "as high as 10 to 12 minutes" for parts of the Tatnic corridor — and recommended reviewing call‑density maps before final siting decisions.
Emergency operations and building standard: the consultant team flagged that if the training room is to function as a backup Emergency Operations Center (EOC) it should meet a hardened design standard (IBC Risk Category 4). Speaker 1 said the proposed lower‑story fit could be built to that standard with appropriate framing and lateral bracing.
Estimated cost and schedule: the study presented an "all‑in" estimate of about $6,000,000 for combined renovation and addition plus roughly $705,000 for site development (cistern, septic and related work). A 10% contingency was carried. The consultant outlined a phased schedule that would require final design and bidding in 2026 to reach construction and occupancy in time if the town needs to vacate existing EMS space by March 2027.
Budget choices and next steps: board members and the team discussed three approaches — proceed with the full long‑term program, reduce near‑term scope (trim bunks or reserving finish work) or phase the project to deliver immediate ambulance housing while deferring full fit‑out. Multiple members emphasized taxpayer sensitivity and asked the consultants to show a reduced footprint and a phasing plan. The presenters agreed to revise the plan and return with options.
What was not decided: the board took no formal vote. No final site selection, staffing commitment or construction contract was approved; several members requested follow‑up workshops and additional data (current fire department square footage, heat maps of call volumes and detailed phasing costs).
Next procedural step: the consultant said he will revise the plans over the holidays and return with a refined proposal and phasing options for the board to prioritize in a subsequent meeting. The board directed staff to provide current department square footage and to consider short‑term housing options for EMS while the longer planning process proceeds.
