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Voters Approve New Firehouse and Vehicles

Voters in Deep River said ‘yes’ to a total of $10,950,000 in appropriations by the town for the construction of a new firehouse and two emergency vehicles for the fire department.

The votes tallied 1609 ‘yes’ voters for the new firehouse and 1156 ‘no’ votes. For the new emergency vehicles, votes tallied 1840 ‘yes’ votes and 932 ‘no’ votes.

The new firehouse, which will cost $8,950,000, is planned to be a 12,000-square-foot facility that will sit adjacent to the current facility that has stood at 57 Union Street for 63 years. The age of the current firehouse is visible in and outside its brick-based structure, as pointed out to Deep River residents during tours of the facility by the fire department.

A joint statement following the results of the referendum was offered to the Valley Courier by Dave Berardis, chair of the Deep River Board of Fire Commissioners, and Tim Lee and Adam Kerop, who are, respectively, the chief and deputy chief of the fire department.

“It was very encouraging to see this level of support for the Fire Department within the town and also a bit surprising to see that both measures were approved with such overwhelming support,” they said. “The Deep River Fire Commission and the Fire Department wishes to thank the citizens of Deep River for voting to approve the new Fire House on Union Street and two fire trucks.”

According to an executive summary by Pat Munger Construction Company, and quoted in a Board of Finance meeting in September, the current facility is “dated, is too small to properly serve the current needs of the town,” and was in need of “significant updates from a maintenance, operational and code perspective.”

The new firehouse is planning to meet those updates while appropriations finance its architectural design and construction plans, demolition, and various necessary reviews. It will also meet Americans with Disability Act requirements and house adequate hygienic and heating systems for its firefighters.

Part of the plans for the new firehouse includes a 3,6000 square foot administration area that will include offices, kitchen and lavatory services, and - critically for fire officials - a dual training center and conference space.

Once the new facility is completed, fire apparatus and all equipment “will be moved into the new firehouse, and the existing firehouse will be demolished, and a new parking lot will take its place,” according to fire officials.

The two new emergency vehicles, costing a combined $2 million, include a $1.5 appropriation for a new fire engine and $500,000 for a new brush truck. The new engine will replace a 1989 model currently being used by the fire department, while the brush truck, which is used for off-road operations, will replace a model from 1982.

Following the vote, fire officials said the next steps would be to form a building committee “to review the current preliminary design and preliminary construction specification. Then the Town will go out for bids.”