MONROE - Monroe's new, nearly $1 million west-side fire station began operating with little fanfare Oct. 22.
Firefighters are now responding from both the west side and downtown stations and have space for trucks and firefighting equipment. Though both stations are full, Fire Chief Daryl Rausch said, firefighters now "can open a door on one truck without moving another."
Chiefs, lieutenants and other officers also have office space to do paperwork, without having to take it home. All paperwork remains in the building, Rausch said.
The public will get its first look at the facility when fire officials host an open house from noon to 4 p.m. Sunday at the station, at 601 West 17th St.
No ribbon cuttings or formal programs are planned, Rausch said, but visitors will be able to tour the facility. And they'll be able to watch the construction process in time-lapse video.
Visitors can expect to see a spacious, modern facility.
The three main offices for the department chief, deputy chief and division chief are large and furnished with wooden desks and cabinets - big changes from the tightly-arranged broom closets and old computer rooms that characterized the downtown station.
Rausch said that while the furniture's a big improvement, the department saved money wherever it could.
"The furniture was found, used, on Craigslist in Madison," he said. "If we had new steel furniture, which is what we had budgeted for, it wouldn't have been this high of quality."
The new refrigerator and stove in the kitchen - valued at about $16,000 - were donated by Wolf Sub-Zero, Rausch added.
The eight additional pieces of equipment in the exercise room came used from the high school, and were cleaned and repainted by fire department staff, Rausch said.
Beneath the large and shiny furnishings, the new fire station dons some less obvious amenities, energy efficient lighting and safety measures.
Local area businesses donated the labor to install about 3,600 feet of communication wiring for phones, computers and Internet; and to mount the kitchen cabinets.
The station received low-energy certification. Low-voltage, compact fluorescent bulbs illuminate every room and, in many rooms, lights are triggered by motion detectors. Interior rooms also have skylights to further minimize energy consumption.
Interior restrooms and showers have reinforced walls for dual use as tornado shelters.
"Building another fire station was well-justified and well-researched," Rausch said, thanking the community for its support. "I think it was the best way to maintain the viability of a volunteer department."
The City of Monroe currently has 48 members in its fire department; only three are full-time city employees. The city has no intention to hire more, he said.
Firefighters are now responding to calls from the closest station, depending upon individual location when a call comes in.
Rausch said most of the volunteer firefighters work on the west side but live on the east side. They typically respond to the west station during the day and to the downtown station at night.
About 20 firefighters respond for routine calls, and during the day, the stations receive an equal number of volunteers, Rausch said.
Volunteers living midway between stations are directed to the west side at night.
"At night, we still have enough (people) to get the first truck out," Rausch said.
The west-side station had four calls in its first four days of operation: two fire calls, an alarm and a vehicle accident on Bethel Road in the Town of Clarno.
Rausch said it's too early to make long-term projections, but initial anecdotal evidence suggests an improvement in response times.
"The west-side trucks are arriving several minutes ahead of the downtown truck," for calls to the west side, Rausch said.
Firefighters are now responding from both the west side and downtown stations and have space for trucks and firefighting equipment. Though both stations are full, Fire Chief Daryl Rausch said, firefighters now "can open a door on one truck without moving another."
Chiefs, lieutenants and other officers also have office space to do paperwork, without having to take it home. All paperwork remains in the building, Rausch said.
The public will get its first look at the facility when fire officials host an open house from noon to 4 p.m. Sunday at the station, at 601 West 17th St.
No ribbon cuttings or formal programs are planned, Rausch said, but visitors will be able to tour the facility. And they'll be able to watch the construction process in time-lapse video.
Visitors can expect to see a spacious, modern facility.
The three main offices for the department chief, deputy chief and division chief are large and furnished with wooden desks and cabinets - big changes from the tightly-arranged broom closets and old computer rooms that characterized the downtown station.
Rausch said that while the furniture's a big improvement, the department saved money wherever it could.
"The furniture was found, used, on Craigslist in Madison," he said. "If we had new steel furniture, which is what we had budgeted for, it wouldn't have been this high of quality."
The new refrigerator and stove in the kitchen - valued at about $16,000 - were donated by Wolf Sub-Zero, Rausch added.
The eight additional pieces of equipment in the exercise room came used from the high school, and were cleaned and repainted by fire department staff, Rausch said.
Beneath the large and shiny furnishings, the new fire station dons some less obvious amenities, energy efficient lighting and safety measures.
Local area businesses donated the labor to install about 3,600 feet of communication wiring for phones, computers and Internet; and to mount the kitchen cabinets.
The station received low-energy certification. Low-voltage, compact fluorescent bulbs illuminate every room and, in many rooms, lights are triggered by motion detectors. Interior rooms also have skylights to further minimize energy consumption.
Interior restrooms and showers have reinforced walls for dual use as tornado shelters.
"Building another fire station was well-justified and well-researched," Rausch said, thanking the community for its support. "I think it was the best way to maintain the viability of a volunteer department."
The City of Monroe currently has 48 members in its fire department; only three are full-time city employees. The city has no intention to hire more, he said.
Firefighters are now responding to calls from the closest station, depending upon individual location when a call comes in.
Rausch said most of the volunteer firefighters work on the west side but live on the east side. They typically respond to the west station during the day and to the downtown station at night.
About 20 firefighters respond for routine calls, and during the day, the stations receive an equal number of volunteers, Rausch said.
Volunteers living midway between stations are directed to the west side at night.
"At night, we still have enough (people) to get the first truck out," Rausch said.
The west-side station had four calls in its first four days of operation: two fire calls, an alarm and a vehicle accident on Bethel Road in the Town of Clarno.
Rausch said it's too early to make long-term projections, but initial anecdotal evidence suggests an improvement in response times.
"The west-side trucks are arriving several minutes ahead of the downtown truck," for calls to the west side, Rausch said.