Fire Station Project

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Fire Station Project

Fire Station Project

BID DOCUMENTS AVAILABLE MARCH 22, 2010~DUE APRIL 14, 2010

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Bradley Fire Station Project
The Town of Bradley Volunteer Fire Department is an all volunteer fire department servicing residents and businesses within the Town of Bradley. The Department has mutual aid agreements with the surrounding communities of, Old Town, Milford, Eddington, Veazie, Clifton and Greenbush. The population of these communities is greater than 17,000 and the total area is over 195 square miles.   These surrounding communities also are home to several vital industries to the area which include, the Maine & Northeast Pipeline, University of Maine-Orono, Casco Bay Energy, Red Shield Environmental, and Old Town Canoe. Additionally the Department has a mutual aid agreement with Penobscot County (total population of 148,651 and square miles of 3556).  The Town of Bradley will provide the needed safety for our fire fighters while responding to calls and training in our service area. Also the new station will increase response time to the six (6) direct communities we have mutual aid with. The cost benefit will not only help our local service area but it will benefit the 17,000 plus citizens of the area.
All nineteen (19) volunteer firefighting personnel are trained in accordance with NFPA 1001 standards and the National Preparedness Guidelines. The Bradley Town Council resolved on October 14, 2008 to establish the National Incident Management System (NIMS) as the standard for incident management in the Town of Bradley. In addition, on April 29, 2008 the Town of Bradley Town Council approved an updated Emergency Operations Plan.    The current call volume reflects 70% Town of Bradley Fire and Safety calls, with the remaining 30% for mutual aid agreements. Because of the amount of Forestry training and equipment the Town of Bradley Volunteer Fire Department has, the Department is automatic first call when there is forestry involved.
The Town of Bradley, which is in good standing under the National Flood Insurance Program, itself has evolved into a bedroom or commuter community. The Town is primarily residential, in which most workers commute out to earn their livelihood. The Town has little commercial or industrial activity beyond small businesses. The Department, therefore, is largely responsible for protecting citizens and residential dwellings. Route 178, a State of Maine major roadway and The Maritimes & Northeast Natural Gas Pipeline does run through the Town of Bradley so there is always the potential for a non-residential emergency.
The Town of Bradley’s Comprehensive Plan identifies 66% of the land as wild and open space. This land is a valuable resource to not only the Town of Bradley and its neighboring Towns, but also to the State of Maine. The State of Maine has made a commitment to maintaining this open and green space by purchasing 9114 acres of the land in 1985. The University of Maine has made a similar commitment by continually searching for ownership of green and open space and making purchases when it is available. The University of Maine currently owns 1442 acres of the identified green and open space. As Paul Perry of the Maine Department of Forestry has stated the Department plays a vital and necessary role in protecting this infrastructure.
Project Description
The following outlines the Town of Bradley’s public safety challenges associated with the existing fire station. Because of the facility’s age, location, and condition the option to renovate and expand the existing facility is not an option as the details below demonstrate.
Age of the Existing Facility – The building, believed to be constructed in 1900, has no foundation, no ventilation, an inefficient oil fired furnace, limited insulation and electrical service/wiring that does not meet current electrical service standards. The current fire station building is believed to be an original structure within the Town of Bradley; therefore there have been informal discussions to turn the current building over to a historical society.
Building Size – The current fire station sits on less than a quarter acre property. The current building footprint occupies nearly 100% of the entire lot. Because of the size of the building the department is faced with the following challenges.
·         Because of inadequate height and width of the current bay doors, the tanker must be fully loaded to fit through. The water weight and pressure from the fully loaded tank allows the fire fighting vehicle to barely fit through the bay.
·         Hoses must be loaded and unloaded outside the building. The limited headroom does not allow fire personnel to be on top of the trucks while in the building.
·         Fire personnel are unable to put on their gear until the lead truck has exited because there is no walking room between the walls and trucks.
·         Because of the building setbacks, it is necessary to disturb traffic on Route 178 as trucks leaving and entering the fire station must be positioned completely in the road.
·         There is very limited space for storage; forest- fire fighting gear is stored upstairs forcing fire personnel to move all the equipment downstairs before responding to a fire call.
·         Inability to replace aging trucks and equipment due to building limitations, as newer updated equipment will not fit.
Building Condition and Code Considerations – As a structure built over 100 years ago there are considerable code and life safety issues that exist including no ventilation, narrow doorways, steep stairwells, and substandard electrical service. Upgrading the current building to meet existing codes would easily exceed the cost of a new building.
Flood Plain – This property is located in the flood plan of the Penobscot River, which is immediately behind the site. Without exception, each year the property floods during the spring runoff. The severity of the flooding varies depending on the snowfall totals, spring rain, and river flow. There have been years when the village where the fire station is located is evacuated because of large amounts of standing water.    Obviously response time is critical, especially with a volunteer fire department.
Site Selection – Given the current conditions and location of the existing fire station, the town has no other option but to relocate the station to a larger lot not within the flood plain. Consideration of a new fire station has been taking place since 1979, when the voters approved to accept a donation of seven acres of land from Diamond International for the construction of a “fire barn”. This parcel of land, which is protected to the 500 year flood level, currently houses the Town of Bradley Municipal Building and the Town owned commercial building in which the United States Post Office leases space (these buildings occupy just over 1 acre of land). The parcel of land in which the proposed fire station would be sited, is vacant with utilities easily accessible.
The Town of Bradley’s Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan, which was approved by FEMA in 2004, designates the Fire Station as a critical facility and requires the Fire Station be relocated. In addition, the Town of Bradley’s Comprehensive Plan, which was approved by the voters in 2004, identifies a necessity in the Strategies for Emergency Services section that the Fire Station be relocated out of the flood plain.
New Fire Station
The proposed new fire station, which is to be located behind the Bradley Municipal Building on Main Street (Route 178) is a facility that was designed for efficiency of use, energy conservation, and flexibility of future needs. The proposed station has a total of 7,391 square feet, which include 5 truck bay of 64’ x 78’ and a support area of 41’ x 58’. The proposed station meets all state building, fire codes and ADA accessibility codes. The proposed station meets NFPA standards that involve fire station construction including sprinkler systems in accordance with NFPA 1 Chapter 13, and fire alarms and vehicle exhaust extraction systems in accordance with NFPA 1500 Chapter 9. The bays are designed around a compact “deep” bay, with doors on the front and one on the side. The slightly deeper bays allow flexibility for future larger trucks.
The proposal includes a support area to house offices, storage, bathrooms, a kitchenette, mechanical rooms and training space. The new station will use the existing municipal parking area for overflow parking; however it will have a separate entrance and parking area for fire personnel and response teams. The access from this site has great visibility in both directions; there are no other driveways or roads within 100’ of this proposed entrance. The site is generally flat, however there are enough slopes to handle and treat storm water from the building and paved areas which will be treated and discharged directly to the Penobscot River. The new station does not currently have plans that provide sleeping quarters or amenities for full time occupancy; however the project was designed and site plotted with this addition in mind for future needs. The new fire station will continue and intensify NFPA 1720 standards ensuring that the Departments fire suppression capability includes sufficient personnel, equipment and other resources to deploy fire suppression resources efficiently, effectively, and safely.

The budget for the new fire station is $900,000 (voter approved June 2009).

Current Status of the Project

The new fire station has been designed and engineered. The location is owned and controlled by the town. All permitting has been obtained and the town’s voters have approved borrowing funds.  Bid packages will be available March 22, 2010, the due date is set for April 14, 2010 (please see "bid documents" above for more information)

The Town of Bradley Town Council authorized the Town Manager to move forward with Environmental Assessment regarding the proposed site in 2007. It has been reported by the Maine Department of Environmental Protection and the US Army Corps of Engineers that the site is suitable for building and only local permits will be necessary. The local code enforcement has given approval for the project and once soil testing is completed a local plumbing permit will be issued.
Cost-Benefit

The cost benefit of a new station is significant as it will improve response times, increase training opportunities, serve as a recruiting tool for new volunteers, and ensure current equipment is available. The new fire station will be located in the center of Bradley village on a straight, flat stretch of road that can be easily controlled with streetlights when an alarm is sounded. The current facility is in the village but at the bottom of a hill on a curve. There is no ability to effectively stop traffic to let the trucks access the road. Given the new location of the facility and the ability to better control traffic flow, it is estimated that response time will increase a minimum of 20%. Also impacting response times will be the ability for all fire fighters to park and access equipment in the new facility. Because of the limited space in the current station when an alarm is sounded new volunteers to the fire department must park at the town office and wait for someone to pick them up with or without equipment to “car pool” to the alarm. A kind of makeshift park and ride program for the firefighters. This also has an adverse impact on the number of volunteers for the department. Because of the size of the current station Bradley is unable to purchase new trucks, as they are too big for the existing structure. The new structure will accommodate the newer vehicles that help increase firefighting capacity.
While the Town of Bradley and the Town of Bradley Volunteer Fire Department may seem small the community benefit will be large. The Town of Bradley according to the 2007 US Census has a total population of 1,339 and has an area of 50.79 square miles. The Town is situated on the Penobscot River, which is the second largest river system in New England, draining 8,570 square miles. A major river restoration project is underway; The Penobscot River Restoration Project is an unprecedented collaboration between hydropower company PPL Corporation, the Penobscot Indian Nation, seven conservation groups, and state and federal agencies, to restore 11 species of sea-run fish to the Penobscot River, while maintaining energy production. This restoration project is expected to increase river activity, therefore increasing the likelihood of river rescue. The proposed fire station will be located directly on the Penobscot River, with river accessibility, however on high ground outside of the flood plain. There is current communication between the Town of Bradley and the Penobscot Emergency Management to join in this river rescue effort.
The new fire station will be located directly across from the Red Shield Facility that has received grant funding from the Department of Energy to produce and market ethanol from pulp production. While this project is in the developmental stages, it is a well-known fact that ethanol is flammable and the ethanol vapors are explosive, therefore increasing the need for fire and safety protection.
The new facility will also afford the Town of Bradley to offer training opportunities not currently available. The facility will provide space for training not only Bradley firefighters but volunteers from neighboring communities as well.

On occasion it is necessary to establish an emergency management center to handle larger natural or hazardous disasters. The new facility will provide adequate space for an operations center used during emergency situtation.

Effect on Daily Operations

The new fire station proposed in Bradley will have a tremendous impact on multiple aspects in the community –
·         Firefighting Effectiveness
·         Upgrade Equipment
·         Volunteer Recruitment
·         Training
·         Emergency Management and Shelter Offering
·         Regional Support
·         Community Pride
Firefighting Effectiveness
As outlined above, Bradley’s current firefighting infrastructure is substandard and adversely impacts the town’s ability to effectively provide fire protection and other public safety services. The new location situates the fire station in the center of Bradley village along a straight, flat section of Rt. 178 the main thoroughfare through town. The new facility will help increase response times as it will be located within 5 minutes of 60 percent of the town’s population. This location will allow the department to better manage traffic along Rt. 178 as traffic lights to stop traffic when an alarm sounds.
Upgrade Firefighting Equipment
Over the last twenty years the size of firefighting vehicles have grown and no longer fit within the existing Bradley fire station. One vehicle in Bradley’s firefighting fleet is a 1986 tanker that is past its effective life. Similarly, the existing station’s size limits the amount of storage available for firefighting equipment. As a result Bradley only has basic essential equipment available. Technical advances in firefighting equipment are available that protect the fireman exponentially. Because of the condition of the existing structure and the lack of storage Bradley has been limited in purchasing new technology to assist in fighting fires. The new station will afford Bradley more space that will allow the town to gradually upgrade its equipment.
Volunteer Recruitment
The new location will have adequate parking that will enable the department to expand its volunteer base. Volunteer fire departments are faced with a declining number of volunteers and an aging force. A new fire station will help Bradley recruit younger volunteers to the force and accommodate them fully and appropriately within the station. Currently new volunteers must park nearly a mile away from the existing fire station and car pool to the station to pick up gear and then go onto the fire. The new station will be large enough to house equipment for a minimum of 30 firefighters, more than double the current force. The new facility will also serve as an attractor to volunteering, as there will be added focus on the importance of the fire department to the community. The increased visibility of the department during the new station initiative and the planned celebration when the new facility opens will be a recruitment tool to encourage younger residents to join.
Training
The training requirements for firefighters continue to grow, requiring considerably more volunteer hours. With a training area incorporated into the new facility Bradley will be able to offer regional training. It is expected that the number of trainings made available to Bradley volunteers, as well as neighboring communities’ volunteers, will further enhance the effectiveness of protecting the community in cases of fire.
Emergency Management and Shelter
On a rare occasion there is a need to establish an emergency operations center and/or shelter during a natural disaster or hazard materials event. The new station will provide a space that will primarily be used for training but can also serve as an emergency management center and/or shelter for residents who are unable to remain in their homes as a result of a disaster or hazardous threat.
Regional Support
As Bradley’s fire department increases its number of volunteers and the overall skill set within the department through increased training opportunities, the result is increased capacity at the regional level. With the ethanol/mill facility across the river, the anticipated increased use of the Penobscot River as a recreation place once the dams are removed, and the growth in population of neighboring communities regional cooperation and mutual aid is critical. Bradley look forward to increasing its role in providing increased mutual aid and regional support in training. The new facility is the only way Bradley can assume these responsibilities and be recognized as a major contributor to the overall regional public safety infrastructure.
Community Pride
In a rural community the fire department, along with high school sports, has traditionally been the placeholder for community pride. Bradley is no different. A new facility that hosts state of the art equipment, space for training, the opportunity to house a shelter when needed, and general gathering place for community activities will help improve Bradley’s sense of community and instill a greater sense of community pride.