On March 8, Public Safety Director and Fire Chief Scott Hechler asked the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) to direct financial staff to develop a funding plan for new facilities and Capital Improvement Plan. The commission asked Chief Hechler to list priorities to be discussed at the meeting on March 22.
Chief Hechler presented his Capital Improvement Projects on March 22nd. This fiscal year, the priority is the planning and engineering phase for Fire Station Number Five, which will be in Spring Hill. This station’s design will be the basis for planning and building of future stations. This station is financed with impact fees, and will total $190,000.
Also planned is an Administration and Training center, which will include a ‘burn building’ and ‘training tower’ for the practical training of firefighters. The training facilities are a higher priority, and are planned for the 2016-2017 fiscal year, with the Administration Building and classrooms planned for the following fiscal year. A new fire station on the premises of the training facility is planned in five years.
Several properties are being considered. The location of the training facility will require fifteen to twenty acres, and the total cost is estimated to be $5,500,000.