Cranberry VFC station addition gets new roof
CRANBERRY TWP — Construction crews worked through the snowflakes Tuesday morning, hammering a roof into place on an addition to the township volunteer fire company's Park Station on Route 19.
It's one of the few remaining parts of the expansion project, which began earlier this year and also included a renovation at the Haine Fire Station. The total cost for both projects is $1.6 million.
According to David Gallagher, chief of fire and emergency services, the work at the Haine Station on Haine School Road is completed. It included an upgrade of the interior with new flooring and lighting, remodeled bathrooms and reconfigured office space.
Meanwhile, work on the Park Station is on schedule to be finished in the first quarter of 2019, Gallagher said. He added that crews have been installing the roof and simultaneously doing work on the interior.
“We should be in pretty good shape soon,” Gallagher said.
It includes the construction of a three-story building south of the existing 23-year-old station near Ernie Mashuda Drive.
The first floor will house a large social and work area, including a kitchen and day room. The new space adds three more offices in addition to the existing ones in the station. That would allow the fire company to centralize administration.
There will also be a dedicated area on the Route 19 side of the building to store and display the historic 1928 Pirsch fire engine. The basement of the expansion will house a gym area with locker rooms and fitness equipment.
The second floor would be dedicated for living-sleeping spaces for members to stay overnight. There will be six private rooms and one bunk room with three bunk beds as well as locker rooms and restrooms.
Gallagher said the bunk spaces will allow for a volunteer bunk program to be put in place. A pilot version of the program began Nov. 12 at the Haine Station, with firefighters staying the night at the station and responding to calls.
Gallagher said the program's goal is to reduce response times. He said last week's ice and snow provided an opportunity to test the pilot program as crews responded to 28 calls throughout the weekend.
“The majority of the calls were handled by people staying at the stations,” he said.
