George needs money for new fire station

EPHRATA - George may get some improvements to its fire station.

The Grant County commissioners decided to submit an application for a Community Development Block Grant for Grant County Fire District No. 3 on Wednesday. The fire district will use the money to build a 7,000-square-foot addition to the George fire station.

District No. 3 Fire Chief Don Fortier said they weren't sure the exact amount they would ask for but that it would be close to the $1 million maximum they could request.

The program uses money from the federal government and is awarded by the state yearly. It is designed to help low and moderate income areas with housing, infrastructure, community facilities, economic development and planning projects.

The application needs to come from the county.

"The activities must meet one of three (U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development) national objectives," said June Strickler, administrative services coordinator. "It principally benefits low- or moderate-income (people), or it aids in the prevention or elimination of slums or blight, or it addresses imminent threats to public health or safety."

Fortier said the building, which was built in the early 1960s and had an addition put on in the 1970s, wasn't big enough for fire equipment.

"Fire apparatus continues to grow much like today's farm equipment," Fortier said. "In the 90s, the Gorge Amphitheater developed into a huge demand on the George fire battalion with no additional funding."

The new station will include six truck bays, four bedrooms, a training and community room and a decontamination room.

"It is becoming increasingly difficult to recruit volunteer firefighters due to the changing demographics of the area," Fortier said. "By providing sleeping rooms we will be able to start a resident firefighter program to staff the fire station, like our successful resident firefighter program at the Quincy station."

Fortier said the district would also use money from its reserve fund, and state loan money and volunteers help to pay for the station.

"The community development block grant would take care of a huge part of it," he said.

This is the first step the station needed to pass for the grant. Next, the district will send out a survey to area residents asking about their income, Fortier said.

"We don't care who it is," he said. "They just need to fill out the survey … It's just one of the hoops we have to jump through (with) this grant."

The state will award the grant in March 2009, Fortier said if the district receives the grant then construction could start by summer.