PRESS RELEASE
To:
City of Mauston
From:
Fire Station Building Committee
Subject:
Fire Station Study Summary and Justification
Date:
March 1, 2017
The City of Mauston in 2013 identified space and safety needs for both the Fire and Police Department. Late last year
the City of Mauston entered into contract with MSA to select a site and begin planning and design for a new Fire Hall.
In order to review and manage the project the City set up a building committee, which includes representatives from
the Fire Department, City Council, surrounding Townships, The City Administrator, and Police Chief to guide the
process. The following Q&A page summarizes the basic need and addresses common questions and concerns for this
facility expansion.
Q & A: NEW FIRE STATION FACILITY
Is a new Fire Station even necessary, what is wrong with the building we have now?
In 2013 the City conducted a space needs assessment based on routine concerns and complaints with the current
municipal facility, which houses the City Administrative Offices, the Fire Hall, and Police Station. That study identified
several significant safety concerns for both the Fire and Police Departments. In particular, the study identified that the
Police department was significantly undersized considering its operations. The police operations of Mauston would
typically occupy 6,000 sq ft of space, but currently is crowded into a minimal 1,600 sq ft of space. The study also
identified the following safety concerns inherent in the current design of the building:
Extremely Limited Parking for Fire Responders
Anywhere from 20-33 fire fighters respond to a
typical fire call. Each arrives in their own
vehicle, and City Hall offers no parking with
easy access to the fire hall bays.
Compact and Congested Site
The Fire Hall is next to a private school, church,
and city hall which all generate a steady stream
of public traffic causing a safety hazard for
responders trying to access the facility. With the
improvements made to Riverside Park, children
at play and public traffic has increased. The site
is developed to maximum capacity with no
room for additional expansion.
Inadequate Interior Space:
Current fire apparatus fully occupy the space,
with no room for additional rescue equipment.
Quarters are tight making it difficult for fire
fighters to put on gear. The wash bay is
unusable and occupied with storage.
Poor Air Quality
The fire bays lack good ventilation, and exhaust
penetrates city hall after every call.
Hazards pulling out into Traffic
Trucks pulling out onto State Street navigate a
blind corner around the Clements Building.
There is also limited space to exit from the bays
onto Mansion St, which is an active street.
Lack of Police Department Security
There is no public entry or lobby for the Police
Department, and no segregation between staff
and non-staff areas. This creates a safety
concern when dealing with hostile suspects or
the public. The interview room and officer work
station area is shared causing a confined space
where altercations have taken place.
Why do we need to expand a Fire Station, when Mauston has not grown?
The last update to the Fire Hall was in 1982, 35 years ago. The City and townships have seen growth and development
during those 3 decades including commercial development along the interstate and STH 58 north, the industrial park,
and the Maugh’s Creek subdivision in Mauston. The facility that was built in ‘82 only added one more bay and
addressed the fire department’s needs at the time with no consideration for future growth. Since then, the
department has added several pieces of apparatus to their fleet including the “Jaws of Life” truck, which responds to
interstate calls. In recent years, the fire department has been dispatched to respond to water and ice rescues, but
unfortunately has been ill equipped to adequately respond. While the department is willing to purchase necessary
water and ice rescue equipment out of their fundraising efforts there is no room to store that equipment.
How are we going to pay for it, is this going to make my taxes increase?
The City would not need to raise taxes to finance this capital expense. Because the City’s current outstanding debt is
coming to a close and principal is reduced each year, the financing could be structured in such a way that the City’s
debt service payments could be maintained at current levels to fund this project. The City’s debt position is healthy
and less than 50% of the limits set by State Statute. It is anticipated that Township Rural Fire Association will
participate toward this capital improvement. Township representatives are being included early in the planning so that
they can help craft their participation, whether it is in the form of a lump sum payment, over time through rent, or
another form of project financing.
Have calls for service increased to merit Fire Hall expansion?
Over the last 10 years, Mauston and the surrounding townships average about 100 calls for service per year. In the
past, calls have reached upward to 120 in the year. In 2016 the Fire Department responded to 97 total calls. However,
“calls for service” is an inappropriate benchmark or justification for this improvement. When property owners
experience a fire or rescue emergency, they are concerned about readiness and ability to respond. This improvement
will address readiness and response.
Don’t the Police have more significant needs why not focus on the PD?
If the City built a new Police Station, the Fire Department would gain some space for apparatus. However, the
improvement would fail to address the several safety and response concerns. At some point the City would be
required to address those issues by moving the fire station to another location. If both Police and Fire moved out of
the current facility, there would be little to no use of the current facility. Further the cost to build a new police station
is significantly higher than the cost to build a fire station. Also the current municipal building looks and feels like a
police station. If the Fire Department vacates, this will afford necessary space to meet both the space and security
needs of the Police. After evaluating all of these considerations, the City felt the most cost effective and prudent route
would be to relocate the Fire Department, and then renovate the current municipal building to address Police
Department needs.
Will this cost us more in the future, similar to rate increases the Ambulance experienced?
Ultimately another facility will increase operating costs for the City by about $30-50K per year. The City will
appropriately budget for these costs. The example of the Ambulance Association building is a poor comparison. The
Ambulance Association rate increase was driven principally by a significant change in service and not the new building.
It should be remembered that the ambulance service went from paid part-time volunteers to certified full-time
paramedics. The City is not in a position, nor considering a change in the staffing model for the Fire Department.
Currently it is completely run by a paid volunteer fire association.