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Jville fire station on firm footing By Tony Boom Sep 12, 2022 01:00 AM A A The town’s 1950s fire house has been expanded and reinforced to withstand earthquakes Jacksonville Fire Chief Wayne Painter walks through the rebuilt fire station in Jacksonville Tuesday. [Jamie Lusch / Mail Tribune] Jacksonville's rebuilt fire station will open soon. [Jamie Lusch / Mail Tribune] What’s old is new in Jacksonville. The town’s 1950s fire hall on C Street has been rebuilt with the addition of a second floor and seismic reinforcement to withstand earthquakes. Work is nearly complete, and Fire Chief Wayne Painter said he expects fire staff to occupy the building in October. City officials wrestled for several decades with how to create a better, larger facility for the department, considering purchase of property for a new fire hall at one point. A state of Oregon seismic reinforcement grant of $1.34 million has covered over half of the cost for the rehabilitation. “The building isn’t going anywhere,” said Painter, commenting on the structure’s ability to withstand earthquakes. With its resiliency, it will become the town’s emergency operations center in the event of a catastrophe of any nature. A total of 112 pilings, some as long as 21 feet, tie the building to bedrock below the soil. More than 1,300 helical ties secure the first story’s original brick wall exterior to the new 2-by-6 framing constructed inside the brick shell. State historical preservation standards and grant requirements called for retention of three of the existing walls. Business Oregon awarded a $1.34 million grant for seismic reinforcement of the fire hall in May 2020. Another $1 million for the remodel came from the city’s urban renewal agency. Increases in costs were covered by federal funds from the American Rescue Plan provided during the COVID-19 pandemic. Total cost of the building is estimated at $2.6 million. The elevator should arrive in early October, the last major piece needed to finish the station. Next week the contractor expects to receive a slide that will allow firefighters to go directly from the upper story to the engine bay when an emergency arises. The slide will be in place of a pole, a traditional fire station feature that can lead to foot and ankle injuries. The first floor retains the three engine bays, but higher doors mean that engines no longer need to be filled with water as they did to clear the previous arrangement. Downstairs will also have offices, a meeting room, shop and spaces for specialized uses. Upstairs firefighter will have new accommodations, with four dorm rooms for on-duty personnel. There are separate bathrooms for men and women. A kitchen and dining area is connected to a living area that will have a TV and the department library. A small room off the living space will he used as a study. All of the department’s supplies and equipment will be located in the new building. That wasn’t possible with the previous arrangement, and items were stored off site at three different locations. “The whole goal was to try to get everything in the building,” said Painter. The department is currently operating out of a trailer at the Public Works Department site, and the engines are housed in a building there. Donations from other sources are helping to equip the building. Jacksonville Boosters Club donated $20,000 to the Josephine County Foundation, which matched that amount to provide funds for purchase of an emergency generator that will sit on the roof. Josephine County Foundation has aided small fire department in Southern Oregon and involves high school students in fundraising. Pacific Power has also provided funds for the generator. Cost of the generator is $71,000, said Painter. Like other items, its delivery is delayed and is now expected in December. That will make the fire hall the only city building that can have power 24/7. Some of the features will result in money savings for the department. A compressor will allow filling of the air packs at the station. Now they need to be driven to an Applegate Fire District station to be filled. A turnout gear extractor will be used to clean and remove potentially hazardous materials from fire turnouts. The district has been sending them to a cleaner at a cost of $60 per set. The Josephine County Foundation provided money for both the extractor and the compressor. One special room downstairs with extra ventilation so it can be used to store turnouts and other items after use to allow them to off-gas safely. Painter was previously a captain with Medford Fire Department. He served as liaison between the department and the contractor when the fire station on Stewart Avenue was rebuilt. “Some stuff I learned there has been brought here,” said Painter. S&B James Company is contractor for the project. Troy Newman is their site superintendent. Lack of space at the site — the building takes up nearly the whole lot — was a challenge for staging, he said. Supply chain delays have also been been a problem. A tall evergreen just outside the entrance was retained because it was once the town’s Christmas tree. Lights left in the tree still fall to the ground during wind events, said Newman. More open space was created around the tree to aid its survival. The space will be planted with fire resistant plants to serve as a model for homeowners wanting to increase resiliency of their property. The town has 28 fire-wise communities. Reach Ashland freelance writer Tony Boom at [email protected].