Daily Newsletters
Account
Washington Evening Journal
111 North Marion Avenue
Washington, IA 52353
319-653-2191
Amana fire needs donations for addition
Southeast Iowa Union offers audio versions of articles using Instaread. Some words may be mispronounced.
MIDDLE AMANA — As the Amana Fire Department adds equipment, it’s need for space grows.
A proposed addition to the fire station in Middle Amana will cost $800,000, and fire district trustees have started looking for grants, donations and fundraisers to bring in the money.
Trustees conducted two open houses at the fire station in April to show residents the lack of space in the current facility.
Steve Rose, one of the trustees of the fire district, pointed out earlier this month that the aerial fire truck barely fits in the fire station. The truck is barely three inches shorter than the garage doors and, backed up to the back wall, is inches away from the door.
“We had the truck that’s in Homestead here,” said Rose, with the tanker and the 4x4s. The fire department built an addition to the original two-door fire station, but it bought the aerial after it was finished, about nine years ago.
“And it’s the only aerial in Iowa County,” said Rose. The truck has a 102-foot ladder and puts firefighters above the flames. It can be used to reach higher floors on structures that have multiple levels.
The fire department had some training with it at Kinze in Williamsburg and has talked with Bayer about training on its three-story office building, Rose said.
The truck has been used in Norway, Walford and Oxford.
The big pumper, UTV and quick response vehicle fill the rest of the first addition. “We just don’t have room,” said Rose.
Five vehicles are parked behind the two garage doors next to the aerial, so firefighters have to move vehicles to get other vehicles out, Rose said.
The two garage doors on the original fire station aren’t used by vehicles. The meeting room is behind them.
The proposed addition on the west side of the building will be 40 by 70 feet with 14 foot doors. In addition to providing more space for the vehicles, it’ll have added storage and a specific area for gear.
The new addition will have doors in the back as well as in the front, so vehicles can drive straight trough rather than backing up. The trustees have already started a road in the back from the water tower, said Rose. They’ve been acquiring dirt for five or six years.
Fusion Architects and Compass Commercial Services of Hiawatha came up with the plans free of charge, said Rose.
“I’m writing grants and trying to find money.” Pledges and donations so far have amounted to about $40,000. The entire project is $800,000, but that’s less than the cost of a new station, which Rose estimated at $4 million or $5 million.
Fundraising is still in its infancy, said Rose. The first open house wasn’t until the first Sunday after Easter.
According to the presentation given during the two open house events, the Main Amana and Middle Amana fire stations were separate until 2002 when they were combined in Middle.
At that time, the department had a pumper, tanker, equipment van and a 4x4 in Middle Amana. Other resources were held in Homestead, as they are today.
The fire district is much wider than just the Amana villages, according to the presentation. It covers 58 square miles.
In 2002 Pheasant Run, Eagle Landing, White Oak Hills and new properties in Lenox Township didn’t exist, and Amana didn’t have the aerial, two 4x4s or the UTV.
Donation boxes are out at local businesses, and pledge certificates are available for anyone who want to wait until later to give.
Only 2% of property taxes go to the fire department, said Rose. According to the presentation, a property with an assessed value of $150,000 pays only $42 to the fire district.
With state roll backs decreasing, the fire budget decreases rather than growing, said Rose. It’s a little over $100,000 a year, though he estimates high to avoid having to amend the budget.
According to the budget presented at the open houses, a truck payment is $50,000, insurance is $17,000, replacement of equipment is estimated at $10,000 and truck and equipment testing and certifications are $7,000.
Utilities amount to about $5,300, a year, truck maintenance, $3,000, building maintenance, $2,100, training, $1,500; fuel, office expenses and miscellaneous, $9,522.
The property tax pays for day to day expenses, said Rose. Anything beyond that, he has to find alternate funding for. Some of the revenue each year comes from fundraisers during Winterfest and Oktoberfest and from the annual pancake breakfast.
Prices are rising quickly, said Rose. Amana bought the fire and rescue vehicle six years ago for $525,000, but a replacement today would be $1.2 million, and they won’t guarantee that price. With a two-year lead time, it could cost much more than that by the time the manufacturer puts it together.
Add the hose and other accessories, and it’s a $2 million machine, Rose said.
The Amana fire district bought the UTV for $65,000, all donated money. It’s used to fight grass fires and to rescue people from off-road areas.
Send donations and pledges for the new addition to Box 342, Amana, IA 52203.
A donation wall inside will recognize donors and higher levels of donations will be recognized on bricks outside, engraved with the names or company logos for those donating $1,000 or more.
