The Peru Gazette

Voting is to take place on Sept. 3 (Corrected date. Originally posted as Sept. 5. It is Sept. 3)

Peru – Last spring, the Peru Volunteer Fire Department Board of Fire Commissioners invited the public to view its plans to expand and improve the 1973-era fire station. After researching how to finance the improvements, the commissioners have scheduled a referendum. The project’s scope and estimated cost have changed since March. Originally estimated at just over $3.8 million, commissioners estimate that the project may cost up to $5 million. The resulting tax increase is estimated at $.6683 per $1,000 assessed value, about $133 annually for a $200,000 property. The current fire tax rate is $1.06 per $1,000. The ultimate cost and tax rate depend on finalized plans, interest rates, contractor bids, etc. Voters can approve or disapprove of the project at a September 3 referendum at the Peru Fire Station on Bear Swamp Road between 6 p.m. and 9 p.m.

Courtney Tetrault, Vice Chairman of the Board of Fire Commissioners,  explained why the project’s scope changed. “The current building has wooden framing, considered a Class B construction. The lending agency would only allow us to borrow for 15 years, so we decided to remove the wood and use other materials to make it a Class A building, allowing us to go with a 25-year loan. We increased the bond request to help cover the extra construction cost. We don’t have an exact cost estimate. We went a little high to keep things moving forward. We will do our best to stay below the $5 million.”  Tetrault said removing the wood frame might reduce insurance expenses and make adding insulation and renovating the building easier.  He doesn’t think construction would begin until early 2026.   

The expansion and renovations include:

• Expanding the building’s five bays by forty feet toward Bear Swamp Road (The previous plan called for bays to be expanded by 50 feet)
• Adding a decontamination room.
• Adding a filling station/room.
• Adding a parking area east of the building
• Expanding equipment storage space to include a locker room with nearby showers and restrooms.
• Using the existing social room to expand space for ambulance EMS personnel.
• Constructing a new social room.
• Improving building drainage.
• Installing new furnaces/boilers.
• Adding a fitness room.
• Including space for the public to see its historic fire truck.

On March 5, Board of Fire Commissioners Chairman Greg Timmons summarized why the expansion is needed: “The department built the original structure in 1973. It’s aging and deteriorating. We have drainage issues. We need to get water away from the building. We started planning this about two years ago.”

Fire trucks are changing. Timmons explained, “Today’s trucks are bigger, longer, and taller. We want plenty of room for the trucks because we anticipate Peru’s future growth. We also want to meet national and state decontamination standards.”

Discussing the decontamination room, Timmons said, “Fires can leave carcinogens, toxins, and organisms on a firefighter’s gear. The skin can be affected. Departments are going to what is called the clean concept.” The new decontamination room will enable firefighters to immediately clean and blow dry their equipment while keeping contaminants isolated from the rest of the station. The locker or turnaround room will give them much more room to stow gear. It will also have an outside entrance for emergency personnel from the new parking area east of the building. All firefighters report to the station before responding to a call.

As an incentive to attract and retain members, the department purchases gym memberships for firefighters if they want to join. The fitness room will include several aerobic machines so personnel can work out at the station rather than join a gym. The room currently serving as a social room will be converted into additional space for EMS crews. There will also be a new room for social gatherings, trophies, antique nozzles, and other memorabilia. The department’s twice-restored 1926 Brockway fire truck will have a home in the glass-enclosed room facing the highway at the western end of the building. Planning for these upgrades has been ongoing for over two years.