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Fire facility renovations to cost $1.6 million

TOMÁS ORIHUELA Jan 27, 2017

COLUMBIA — The city is preparing to spend $1.6 million to renovate three old ere stations and the ere training academy.

The Columbia City Council last week authorized City Manager Mike Matthes to carry out an agreement with Archimages of St. Louis,

which will provide architectural designs for the renovations. The work will be funded with proceeds from a quarter-cent capital

improvement that voters approved in August 2015.

There is no erm date to begin the projects at Fire Stations No. 4, 5 and 6, at 2300 Oakland Gravel Road, 1400 Ballenger Lane and 3112

Chapel Hill Road, respectively, and at the ere training academy at 700 Big Bear Blvd., though the city hopes it will be done by the end of

the year.

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The main problems at the ere stations, which were built in the early 1970s, are leaky roofs. At Fire Station No. 4, built in 1970, iron

patches have been placed over some roof joints to prevent water damage. Still, it's not uncommon to see buckets collecting water on

rainy days, Fire Chief Randy White said.

ERIN ACHENBACHA firetruck sits Wednesday in the driveway of Fire Station 4. Fire Station 4 will receive renovations to its roof,bathroom facilities and heating and air conditioning systems. The station is one of three in Columbia that will berenovated.

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Each of the ere stations also has one large bathroom with four communal showers. Those will be restructured to accommodate

diderent genders. The architects will also evaluate the stations' heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems. Total spending on the

stations will be slightly more than $1 million.

White said he doesn't know whether the stations will have to be closed during construction. 

"The objective is to extend the lives of these three stations," he said.

Training academy to be restructuredTwice a year, the Columbia Fire Department conducts a 12-week training program for ereeghter recruits at the academy. The

department's 146 ereeghters also regularly attend classes at the facility. White said ereeghters have to know more than how to deal with

eres.

"Not a lot of people know that we also deal with gas leakages, car accidents and water issues," White said. 

White estimates the city will spend about half a million dollars on the academy, but that could change after a February meeting with

professionals from Archimages.

The academy consists of a training tower, a one-story classroom building, small storage units and a two-story live-burn house that

allows ereeghters to practice in real situations.

White said he hopes to get as much work done as possible with a $500,000 ceiling.

The tower is safe but needs to be exed, White said.

"We also want to divide the classroom with a solid wall to diderentiate recruits from active-duty workers." Right now, a light, dusty

curtain separates the classroom.

The biggest expense at the academy is the construction of a 60-by-80-foot two-bay garage for ere trucks, which could also be used for

physical training during bad weather. Fire trucks are currently parked outdoors on a cracked parking lot that the department plans to

resurface.

Supervising editor is Scott Swadord.

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Tomas OrihuelaSpring 2017 Public Life reporter. I'm an exchange junior studying photojournalism with an emphasis on print and social media.