Fire hall moves on to design phase

    Montgomery Fire Department’s (MFD) newest fleet addition, an enclosed top mounted pumper truck with 1,000 gallon water tank and 15-gallon foam cell, is almost ready for service. MFD Fire Chief Tony Kadrlick says that the new fire vehicle will likely be in service in early to mid-April.
    Some of the benefits Kadrlick noted was the hose storage being in the front bumper, the inside cab having a much better layout for firefighters with their gear — being across from each other rather than in a line, camera views for the driver to see around the truck to make it safer to operate, and the full cab being able to lift up off the engine and pump assembly.
    Initially it was thought that the truck would be in service by the end of March but a delay in some of the equipment that has yet to be put into the truck and training with that equipment has pushed it back a couple of weeks.
    
New fire hall
    Montgomery’s city council meeting on Monday, March 16, was full with most of the MFD’s crew in attendance and for good reason.
    President and CEO of Brunton Architects, Cory Brunton, was in attendance to talk about the more detailed estimates for options on MFD’s new fire hall. Council reviewed the information to make a decision on whether or not to move onto the design phase and which option to choose.
    Two different estimates for a 15,000 square foot facility with nine bays across Boulevard Avenue from the current police station were considered.
    The first was the cost for pre-cast concrete building with a total estimate of $6,786,832. The second option was a pre-engineered metal building (PEMB) with total estimate of $6,663,617.
    Brunton said that it was a one-for-one comparison, with the same equipment and space requirements between the two options. He said with a PEMB that the mechanical has to have a room inside the building with that type of construction and takes up more space, whereas a pre-cast concrete building, the mechanical can be located on the roof.
    The lifespan of a PEMB is about 35-50 years, and Brunton said, “That 50 years is gotta be one of those where you use more durable materials upfront.” In comparison, he says pre-cast concrete buildings have a 75-100 year lifespan with less maintenance...

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