Sheffield starts fire house expansion

By Derek Gentile, Berkshire Eagle Staff
Updated: 05/25/2009 09:04:59 AM EDT


Monday, May 25
SHEFFIELD — The expansion of the town's fire house on Route 7 began last week, according to Town Administrator Joseph Kellogg.
"This is the culmination of a couple of years of fundraising," said Kellogg. "And I want to emphasize that this has all been done by fundraising. There has been no cost to the taxpayers for this."

Fire Chief Richard A. Boardman Jr. declined comment on the work. However, in a previous Eagle story, he stated that the membership of Sheffield Volunteer Hose Co. No. 1 opted to fund the project independently because they did not want to see the town's taxes increase as a result. The effort has been lauded by town officials.

Kellogg said plans call for the construction of two more bays onto the existing fire house. One of those bays will house a new $350,000 fire truck approved by town meeting vote last year.

The work calls for extending the east wall of the fire house by about 30 feet into an open area in front of the building.

Kellogg said the town attached a proviso to the appropriation that stipulated that the town would not order the new truck until the fire department had completed the expansion.

"We just wanted to make sure the fire department wouldn't have to park one of its trucks in the street," said Kellogg.

In light of the commencement of the expansion, said Kellogg, the town has ordered the truck.

"It will take the company from whom we ordered

it between six and seven months to outfit the truck the way the fire department specified," said Kellogg. "By then, the new bays will be completed."
The initial fundraising goal of the department was $300,000, according to Eagle files. But in his report to the town, Boardman noted that the department, in light of economic conditions, scaled back that goal, as well as the overall scale of the project.

The firehouse, with three truck bays, was originally constructed in 1948. It was renovated in 1971 and again in 1995, when a communications room was added.

Both times, the hose company raised money for the work privately.

While the all-volunteer force is considered a town department with its members appointed by the Select Board, the firehouse itself is privately owned by Volunteer Hose Co. No. 1. The town pays the department's annual budget, about $39,000 for equipment and fuel.

There are presently 31 members on the force with an average term of service of 13 years, according to the town report.