Headline Lahoma to build new fire station

Staff Writer



The 14 volunteers of the Lahoma Fire Department hope to have a particularly good Christmas this year. They hope to have their new building completed by then.

Garfield County Commis-sioners approved bids for the fire station during their meeting Monday morning.

The building is planned to be 50 x 150 feet with a classroom on one end and five equipment bays on the other, Fire Chief David Wedel said.

The anticipated cost is between $179,000 and $220,000, based on costs of fire stations built at Drum-mond and Garber, he said.

?We?re looking at something in that neighborhood, we went by their specs,? he said.

However, fuel costs could bring the price up.

The department currently is using space beside the town hall with four bays, and Wedel said they have run out of room.

?We don?t even have room to work on the trucks when we need to,? he said.

The all-volunteer department has six trucks ? two engines, two grass rigs, a tanker and a rescue truck.

The grass rigs will be ?double stacked? in one bay because they are small enough to fit in.

The oldest truck is a 2003 F650 tanker, Wedel said.

Lahoma receives funding from the county fire sales tax.

The Lahoma department responds five miles each direction from the city limits. They also assist other departments if there is a mutual aid agreement.

When the new fire station is completed an open house is planned.

?We hope to have it by Christmas,? he said.

***Byline