Bldg Facility Needs Committee Report Aug 2010-Mar 2011

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block is porous, and the Minnesota freeze and thaw cycles causes the block to spall and water to enter the building, causing moisture and mold issues. The committee felt the building was too small to provide current or future fire ser�ice operations, e�en considering the fact the building was remodeled in 2001 to add dorms and an upstairs restroom. Decision #2 The right number of fire stations needed to provide current and future service to the community. The committee examined how current services are provided and how future service impacts may affect the space and location needs of the department. After extensive examination of the current staffing model, the committee concluded that for the foreseeable future, the needs of the community could be provided utilizing the same or like staffing model. The current stafFing model provides 24/7 fire & medical coverage utilizing an on-duty crew of between 4-6 firefighter/EMT's, working out of one fire station. The committee then looked at how the number of fire stations would positively or negatively impact the fire departments current exceptional response time. Given the fact that more than 99% of calls for service are provided from fire station #3, located on Dale Street just north of Highway 36, the committee decided to focus on this locatian as a comparison for response time impacts. The committee reviewed response time grids from each of the three current fire station locations and frorn potential future fire station locations. The committee concluded that the fire department currently experiences an exceptional response time, responding from fire station #3, which is positioned well using a north/south grid of the city, but is disadvantaged using an east/west grid of the city, positioning significantly east of city center. The committee then examined the current and future space needs of the department. The committee concluded that none of the current stations met the needs of the department and more space would be needed. The total usabfe accumulative space of the three current fire s#ations is approximately 24,000 square feet. The committee decided that given the current usable space of approximately 24,OQ0 square feet, and planning for future departmental needs, that a bench mark of 34,000 to 36,000 square feet would be needed for a one fire station operation. 11