Boyceville fire station feasibility study expected in six weeks

By LeAnn R. Ralph

BOYCEVILLE — A feasibility study about building a new fire station in Boyceville is expected to be completed within four to six weeks.

Representatives for Five Bugles Design met with the Boyceville Community Fire District’s five year capital improvement and planning committee July 28.

The feasibility study will be the third study for Boyceville that Five Bugles has done, said Ed Mishefske, senior emergency services specialist with Five Bugles.

The other two studies also included space for emergency medical services.

Now that the Boyceville ambulance district is building a new station, the fire department does not need room for the ambulance service, he noted.

The study will include reviewing the Boyceville fire district’s equipment and determining how many square feet are necessary, Mishefske said.

“You want to make sure you have enough square footage in the building to meet your needs for the next 20 years,” he said.

Rich Monn, chair of the Town of Stanton and chair of the five-year planning committee, wondered when it would be appropriate to start looking for sites on which to build a new fire station.

After the square footage is determined, then the fire district will know what size the lot must be and how it will need to be situated, said Mishefske, who is a retired fire chief.

Considerations for the lot will include whether the bay has doors on one side or whether it is a drive-through bay, he said.

Drive-through bays have their advantages for moving equipment, but they also result in the loss of wall space that can be used for storage, Mishefske said.

The feasibility study will include a budget, he said.

“We are really fussy about the budget,” Mishefske said, noting that a list of items will have to be prioritized for the next 20 years.

“Not every fire station is the same,” said David Cihasky also of Five Bugles.

The feasibility study will not be re-evaluating the existing fire station.

It will be evaluating the needs for a new fire station, he said.

The safety of fire fighters getting in and out of the building is an important consideration in building a new fire station, and something as simple as parking can make all the difference, Mishefske said.

For example, the parking lot should be arranged so that firefighters do not have to cross in front of the bay doors to get into the building. That way, they will not be in danger when other firefighters are trying to get trucks out of the fire station, he said.

Five Bugles’ next meeting will be with members of the Boyceville Community Fire Department on August 5.

Meeting with the firefighters is a crucial step in doing a feasibility study about a new fire station, Mishefske said.

Five Bugles is named for the insignia on a fire chief’s uniform, which includes five bugles arranged in a circle.