Pleasant Hill (KMTR) - The Pleasant Hill Fire Department needs a new fire station. But to make it happen, they will need to pass a bond measure, which is not an easy thing to do these days.Thursday night, Feb. 16, they want to find out how residents in the area feel about it.
The fire chief says they've tried to find the money for a new building through grants, but that has not worked. So, while he recognizes the economy is tough right now, there is really no other option but to turn to the voters.
The current fire station on Highway 58 was built in 1968 to house just three fire trucks. The fire district now has 13 rigs and many have to be kept off site because there is simply no room. The station’s 45-year-old roof is failing, there are problems with the wiring, the building is not ADA compliant and in a substantial earthquake, state geologists say it would likely collapse.
A new station would allow more room for the trucks and add space for training.
The majority of the firefighters and paramedics at the station are volunteers who have to come from home to respond to a call. Fire Chief Edward Rowell says new building would allow some of them to live at the station and be ready to go at a moment's notice.
“If we actually had people who lived at the station who would respond faster, our response times would go down y about three minutes,” said Rowell.
Building a new fire station would require a bond measure of between $2 million and $4 million. That’s Chief Rowell wants the public to be part of the discussion.
Pleasant Hill residents are invited to come to the station Thursday night, take a look around and see the problems the staff is dealing with and let the firefighters know if they would be willing to support the efforts to replace the aging building. The meeting starts at 6 o'clock. The fire station is at 36024 Highway 58.
