Ingomar fire company builds larger site
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Ingomar Volunteer Fire Company has torn down its main station and is building a new facility about 45 feet away at West Ingomar Road and Harmony Drive in McCandless.
Crews recently broke ground on the new station, which will contain larger garages to accommodate fire trucks, a fitness center, training facilities and classrooms.
Fire Chief Greg Quatchak said the new facility will provide more training opportunities.
The station will have a tower the firefighters can use for climbing and propelling practice, he said. And, the classrooms will fit about 40 to 50 firefighters, which will allow the company to hold seminars for its staff and firefighters from other departments.
"This will make our operation more efficient," Chief Quatchak said.
The new station, slated for completion in six to nine months, will resolve the problem of space limitations at the old station.
"The garage doors weren't wide enough for trucks to get in and out," firefighter and company secretary Geoffrey Allerton said.
Another major problem with the old station, Mr. Allerton said, is that it stood only about 6 feet from Harmony Road, which made it difficult for the fire trucks to navigate in and out of the garages.
The fire company initially wanted to renovate the old building, but found the cost was almost the same to construct a new building, which solved the problem of the station's proximity to the street.
"The building was so close to the street. We slid the new station much farther back," he said.
While the station is under construction, the 35 volunteer firefighters will be housed in temporary tent-like structures as well as the company's north station, 10176 Old Perry Highway. The temporary station has electricity and is heated.
"We have trucks right in the area ready to go, just not sitting in proper fire station so to speak," Mr. Allerton said.
But he said the temporary lodging hasn't caused delays in the firefighters' response.
The fire company has generated about 70 percent of the funds needed to build the new station, company president Bob Fall said. The project is estimated to cost about $2 million.
"We are aggressively doing our fundraising," Mr. Fall said.
The company has asked the community of McCandless for donations. It has launched fundraising projects, like a calendar sale, and has used company savings that have been put aside.
Mr. Fall said they hope to raise an additional $500,000.
Ingomar Volunteer Fire Company was chartered in 1927, and is one of three independent companies that serve McCandless.
First Published September 15, 2011 5:55 am
