EAST GREENBUSH FIRE DISTRICT #1 THE CLINTON HEIGHTS FIRE DEPARTMENT PROPOSED FIRE DEPARTMENT BUILDING PROJECT

THE FIRE DISTRICT

The East Greenbush Fire District #1 is a political subdivision of N.Y. State and is a district corporation. The fire commissioners and other officers and employees of the fire district are not officers and employees of the town or of any other political subdivision. The fire district is also an independent corporate entity governed by a separate board of fire commissioners. The Board of Fire Commissioners has the responsibility of purchasing items which are required for the operation of the fire district, including purchasing the apparatus and equipment necessary to protect district residents as well as providing for the care and upkeep of its fire stations. Duties of the members of the fire companies and department include maintenance of equipment, maintenance of the fire house, participation in mutual aid plans, and orderly use of the fire house.

THE FIRE DEPARTMENT

The Clinton Heights Fire Department is an entirely volunteer organization. Yes, volunteer! Its members receive NO pay for their work. The department consists of over 70 active fire fighters, 36 ladies auxiliary members and approximately 100 other members who assist the department in non-fire fighting roles as well as many who have “retired” from active fire fighting. These are your friends and neighbors – and sometimes, total strangers.

Collectively, these are some of the best trained fire fighters in this area. Fire fighters must complete mandated NYS training within one year of entering the fire service and each person must maintain his/her skills through annual federally and locally mandated training. They respond to approximately 200 emergency calls a year within the fire district. These calls include structure, vehicle, brush and rubbish fires; automobile accidents; hazardous material incidents; fire alarm activations; rescue calls; and EMS assistance. We are extremely proud of our force and the job that they do.

PERSONNEL AND RESOURCES

Currently, the apparatus, equipment, administrative records, and personnel are split between three buildings (in close proximity to one another). Specific apparatus respond to each call in accordance with pre-plans, depending upon the nature of the call. The call may necessitate an engine, rescue or ladder truck. Each apparatus contains special equipment and requires manpower with needed corresponding training. Since this is a volunteer organization, we are also dependent upon the availability of our members to respond. In this day and age, it is imperative to maximize our resources – firematic equipment, fiscal and human.

1 CURRENT FACILITIES

The Fire Department now maintains three separate buildings within only two-tenths of a mile of each other.

Fire Station 1: W.F. Bruen Hose Co.  Originally built as a school and not intended for emergency services  Became a fire station in 1912, almost 100 years ago  Extensive remodeling has been done, though still non-compliant with current codes  Undersized to meet the program requirements of a modern-day public safety facility  Difficult road access for moving apparatus and emergency responders  Insufficient parking for fire fighters and the public who use the facility

Station 2: Community Hose Co.  Original portion of building was built in 1936 over 70 years ago  Engineering studies indicate building systems have reached end of their intended service life  Out-dated electrical system, which cannot support emergency power needs of station  Spacious hall, but of limited use for firematics  No accessible facilities for physically disabled persons

District Office:  Originally a single family dwelling  Purchased from the Bruen Rescue Squad (East Greenbush Ambulance District)  Houses equipment and files that do not fit in either fire station  Extensive water damage to foundation and basement from water infiltration

These buildings do NOT meet current building and fire codes. They are old, and although well maintained by the members, they no longer effectively serve the needs of the department. They cost a great deal to heat, maintain, and insure. They do not meet code requirements for “essential facilities” (those that must remain in operation during times of emergency - storms, blizzards, floods, etc.).

IDENTIFYING OUR NEEDS

The Clinton Heights Fire Department has reflected upon various ways to address the issues. The Board of Fire Commissioners hired and/or reviewed the work of multiple experienced groups to guide the department through the process of identifying the fire district’s needs and the fire department’s goal of providing adequate, long-term and cost-effective fire suppression. Among them: 1. Insurance Services Organization (ISO). This group rates all fire departments in the nation to set fire insurance rates. Although we received a very high rating for a fully volunteer force, we can do better. Our rating is currently a “4”. However, with a few improvements we KNOW that our rating can be a “3”. One way to improve our rating would be to improve several factors that are linked to our physical buildings. Collectively, every improvement helps to lowers fire insurance. For example, the move from a 4 to a 3 lowers commercial insurance rates by 9 – 14%.

2 NOTE: For a comprehensive review of the ISO rating system, see their web site at www. ISO.com.

2. The nationally recognized consulting firm, Emergency Vehicle Response, was hired to review existing buildings, equipment, personnel, ISO rating and the physical set up of the fire district. Their review showed very clearly how the fire department could be improved by replacing our three buildings with one centralized building.

NOTE: They also made other recommendations that will cost the department little money, but that will pay off in our mission to improve services as well as our ISO rating. Their website is: www.emergencyvehicleresponse.com.

We convened meetings of all members of the fire department including firefighters, officers and the ladies auxiliary. Their input was invaluable and aided in the development of the plans that will be used in the final course of action.

3. With all this work done, the Board of Fire Commissioners sought a local firm that could pull the project together. A “One Stop” organization if you will, one that could do site analysis, design, bid procurement, construction administration – in short, everything. We sought proposals (RFPs – Request For Proposals) and were pleased to find C.T. Male of Latham, NY (visit their website at www. ctmale.com). They came with the experience that we felt was needed and with references that when checked, were found to be impeccable.

Following all of this work, the best course of action indicated that a new building on a new site to serve the entire District was the best course of action. We did ask the consultants to explore the possibility of using our existing buildings and locations. They were adamant however, insisting that rehabbing buildings that are nearly 100 years old would cost more than new construction, and even then, may not do as good a job as we’d like or that the public deserved. Control and distribution of personnel would not be addressed by rehabilitation and maintenance of three separate buildings. As a result, we have decided that a new building project was in the best interest of everyone on the District.

Aside from all the substantial improvements in life safety and operational benefits a new building will bring, based on the many advancements in the building industry since our current buildings we first constructed, the cost of utilities alone will offer some of the greatest savings. Using these savings to service debt, will allow us to easily borrow more than we otherwise could allowing us things like full-building, back-up generators, fire sprinklers, vehicle exhaust systems and many other new building upgrades for the station.

THE PROPOSAL

The project envisioned is modest, not pretentious. It will not be the biggest fire station in the area, but we believe that it will be the best, One that will serve the community very well for the next 100 years. The new building will be a bit more costly than the average construction price per foot. This is due to our need to meet special code requirements for essential facilities. The building will be designed to hold all fire equipment in one place, provide adequate training facilities for a modern fire department, efficient office space, emergency power,

3 communications, and storage for the incredible tools and materials needed to run day to day and emergency operations.

WHAT WILL IT COST ?

Of course everyone would like to know, “What is it going to cost?” At this point, we are working on a final cost estimate. As soon as it is available, we will share it along with how the District plans on financing it. With good planning and good fiscal management, we hope to keep this cost down as much as possible. The Board of Fire Commissioners, the governing body of the fire department, has been working very hard to be as fiscally responsible as possible. Between the years 2004 and 2006, we saw minimal tax increases. At times there was a zero per cent increase. Your library tax will still be higher than the fire department tax. There is no disputing that a tax increase will be needed for this project. However, the Board promises to continue the fiscal restraint of the past as it continues with the project. The fire department has never refused a request for assistance from anyone. Now however, we are asking for your assistance.

Obviously, the cost of construction has substantially increased over the years. However, while considering the cost of building a new facility it is important to remember that your District’s yearly maintenance and operational costs should also be considered. New construction will include equipment that requires less maintenance and more accessible parts for replacement. The substantial energy demand reduction and the lessened operation and maintenance costs should be part of the decision process when looking forward into the future needs of our District. In addition, our community can rest-assured that their new essential facility will likely be standing when other structures are more likely to fail in their time of greatest need.

KEEPING YOU INFORMED

We have seen projects throughout the Capital District lose the confidence of supporters because of attempts to “sneak” these projects through. We are NOT doing that. We are reaching out to you. We will update our website whenever new information becomes available. In addition we will be mailing newsletters to every household and plan to hold several public hearings on this project. We will also make fire dept. officials available to any group wishing more information.

Once everything is set and exact numbers are available, a vote will be scheduled. Keep your eyes open and thanks for reading this! And as always, stay safe.

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