Chief pleased with fire station expansion

By Jennifer Eisenbart

Editor

These days, Town of Burlington Fire Chief Ed Umnus is enjoying the added space at Fire Station No. 2 near Bohners Lake.

“I think it’s a long time in the making,” said Umnus last week, as the majority of the work for the fire station’s renovation is now finished.

The station has just a punch list of items being checked off, and the final cost for the renovation isn’t totaled. However, with the work done by Scherrer Construction and BurliSigns, Umnus said the fire company is already settling in nicely.

“I think it’s the best thing they could have done,” Umnus said. “It gives us the ability to move anything to any of the three stations.”

The renovation flipped the equipment bays to a new, pre-engineered structure on what had previously been the parking lot. The structure has 14-foot doors – compared to the 10-foot doors previously – and more bay space.

There is now meeting space as well, with a dedicated conference room. There are also new bathrooms, a new kitchen and renovated office space.

The space in the firehouse more than doubled to 6,150 square feet, and Umnus said he is pleased the building can house an engine, a tanker, two grass rigs, the department’s ATV and also one of the boats.

The heavy rescue truck that had previously been at the station was moved to station No. 3 on Browns Lake.

With mechanicals in the building dating back to 1969, Umnus said the work was desperately needed.

“It gave us no room to grow,” he said.

Now, not only will the fire department be using the space. Rather than having to clear apparatus out of the bays on election days, the meeting space will be used for voting. The Bohners Lake associations will have space for their meetings, and the Town of Burlington Fire Department meetings will also be held consistently at the new station.

Umnus said his firefighters are enjoying the new space.

“They love it,” he said. “They love having the space, to be able to walk around the apparatus, work on the apparatus.”

Umnus is also hopeful the updated station will be a draw for new members.

“On that one, I think only time will tell,” he said.