CHARLESTOWN, N.H. – The Charlestown Selectboard formed a committee in 2024 to study the building needs for the fire department. Since that time, the committee has been meeting and reviewing those needs. After careful review of the existing building and the requirements of the current standards for fire service, it was determined that the current station does not meet the safety requirements of a modern fire department
First, a little history about the current station. The town voted to appropriate $80,000 in 1973 for site work and construction of the current station. Four thousand additional dollars were appropriated in 1974 for completion of the station. The fire department has worked out of the current building for the last 50 years. If you annualized that $84,000 investment over the 50 years of use the town has gotten from the current station, you can see that the town has not wasted any money on fire stations. The current station is a Butler-style, pre-engineered steel building. These buildings are not designed to be modified. The station sits in the very southwest corner of the lot. This does not allow for expansion of the building to the west or the south due to property boundaries. There is no room to the north either, due to the limited driveway space shared by the police department and the fire department. Theoretically, the building could be added on to the east; however, because of the design layout of the supporting superstructure of the building, it would take a major re-engineering, and even then, would not provide adequate space to meet the current needs of the department, or provide room to expand to meet future needs.
The fire station committee completed a thorough review of the current station to see if it was possible to make modifications to bring it up to code and meet the current needs of the town. This was done with a combination of our committee members, the town’s insurance provider Primex, and the architect hired by the town to help with this project.
In September of 2024, Primex did a risk assessment of the current station and found the following deficiencies.
(1) Slip, trip, and fall hazards both inside the building and outside. The roof redesign of the building does not control the water coming off of it; in the winter this allows ice to build up and creates a number of hazards around the building. A firefighter did suffer a slip and fall with a resultant broken arm because of ice damming in the parking lot at the station. If anyone drives by the station in the winter, they will notice that a good portion of the building is encapsulated in ice because of this design.
(2) There is an overall lack of any facilities or space to perform adequate decontamination of both personnel and equipment. The risks of cancer in the fire service cannot be understated. It is imperative that there be appropriate facilities to get firefighters decontaminated and washed up before they go home to their families. The same goes for the gear that is used. There is no room inside the current station for the addition of shower facilities, or expansion for appropriate bathroom facilities, or isolated spaces to perform these essential decontamination tasks. Almost all equipment currently is stored in the only space available, the apparatus bay, which is contaminated with diesel exhaust.
(3) The storage and washing/maintenance of the turnout gear the firefighters wear was also noted as being deficient. While this gear is meant to protect firefighters while engaged in high-risk activities, the gear itself is actually dangerous. Most of it is built with chemicals that are known to cause cancer, but because of lack of other suitable options to keep firefighters safe in the severe conditions they encounter, this is the best that can be done. Further, the gear becomes contaminated because of the numerous chemicals found in modern fires and other hazardous conditions to which firefighters are exposed. The gear should be cleaned after every use. The gear also needs to be stored in an isolated space with separate ventilation, it needs to be protected from natural light, and should be kept away from the public. There needs to be adequate space to decontaminate and wash this gear. There is no room in the current station to accommodate any of this. Further, the firefighters’ turnout gear is currently stored in the apparatus bay at the station. Here, it is exposed to the exhaust fumes from the six diesel trucks the department operates; these exhaust fumes further contaminate the gear with diesel particulates. When exposed to fire, the diesel particulates become superheated and add additional carcinogen exposure to the firefighters.
(4) The apparatus bay itself is not large enough to store the apparatuses the town currently maintains. Some trucks are backed in so close they are nearly touching. The bays are not wide enough to allow doors to open all the way. Firetrucks are not getting any smaller. Replacements that are needed now will not fit in the current station. There needs to be adequate room in the apparatus bay to position the equipment safely to prevent damage to this valuable equipment, and to make it safe to maintain and work around.
(5) The exhaust from the vehicles located in the apparatus bay needs to be captured and ventilated outside of the building. This is a major source of contamination to the entire station. This vehicle exhaust is known to be harmful. The current station does not have any infrastructure to do this, nor does it have the physical room needed to be retrofitted to allow for this equipment.
These are all serious issues. They all contribute to added risk for the firefighters and visitors to the station. In light of these issues, the committee determined that constructing a new station is necessary, as there is no reasonable approach to make the current station meet current and future needs.
Next, the committee spent time studying and analyzing whether a modern, appropriately sized facility could be built on the current lot located on Main Street. Of course, the entire committee would have loved to keep the fire station on Main Street. It really serves as a community hub, and deserves a place in the center of town. However, we did not want to repeat the current situation in which the department finds itself – namely, too small of a building, located on a lot that does not allow for expansion. The committee recognized that the fire department also needs more room around the building itself to function. During a fire, 20 or more members might be showing up within a matter of minutes to respond to an emergency; room to park, and room for the safe flow of traffic into and out of the station is essential. The department needs room to maintain gear. A length of large-supply hose is 100 feet long, and it would be great if there was room on the lot for that to be laid out for testing and practice. There are drills that need to be completed. We determined that a lot of at least 2.5 acres was really needed to meet the building and operational needs of the department.
The committee hired a soil engineer to look at the current back lot of the fire station. As many town members who have lived here for any time will know, that flat area has been created by dumping fill and other material back there for several decades. The lot drops off significantly at the edge of the parking. There are a stream and wetlands that would need to be dealt with if we were to expand that lot. Soil borings were done to obtain soil for analysis in a number of locations around the back lot. It was determined that a good portion of the back lot was not suitable for building upon without excavating down approximately 20 feet and back filling this with engineered soil. While not impossible, it would add a significant amount of site work and cost to the project. If the station was to be built closer to Main Street, we would find ourselves in the same situation we are in now, a building being built in the corner of a lot without room for future expansion, less than ideal space around the building, and the need to build a temporary fire station to store equipment and apparatuses during the period of time the old one was torn down and before the new one was ready for occupancy. This would add substantial costs to the project.
Based on these findings, the committee determined that, if we could find a lot somewhere else in town that was flat, buildable, and offered at least 2.5 acres of land, we would be setting the project up for the most success. We did a full review of all town-owned property, of which there is very little. Unfortunately, there was nothing in the town inventory that would meet the needs. The committee met with CEDA, Whelen, and private property owners in search of a piece that would keep the station near the village, and would offer the space needed with a minimal amount of work to prepare the site. In the end, we found the property that is currently being presented on the warrant for purchase this year. It was the most cost-effective land available that met the criteria. For the purchase price negotiated, the seller will have the land prepared and ready for construction.
This piece of land is located about 3,000 feet away from the current station, keeping the station centrally located within town. The land is flat, has access to town water and sewer, and provides over three acres of land. Again, we wish it was located on the center of Main Street, but that is just not a reality. Building here allows the current station to remain in use during the construction phase, so no temporary building is needed. It also gives the town options on what to do with the current station after the new station goes into service.
The committee interviewed and reviewed proposals by three different architectural firms prior to starting this process. Ultimately, the committee recommended the town contract with Michael Petrovick Architects in Keene, N.H., to help us with the feasibility study for this project. This is a local architectural firm that has substantial experience working with communities the size of Charlestown on public safety buildings. They are currently working with the Walpole Fire Department on their expansion, and worked with Westmoreland on the construction of their fire station. Working with the architect, the committee has gone through a programming process to help us define the needs of the community and the fire department, so that we can design and build a station that will fulfill those needs in the most cost-effective manner possible. We want to deliver a product that easily meets the needs of the community for the next 50 or more years, constructed in a way that gives us options for future expansion if needed.
The entire fire station committee is made up of taxpayers from Charlestown. They all realize the burden every property owner in Charlestown faces. We hope the town will recognize how critical it is that the current fire station be updated – that there are serious operational and safety issues that need to be addressed. The committee hopes the town will see just how little the current fire station has cost the town over the years, and how frugally the department operates year over year. The committee hopes the town realizes that the need to update this station is not going to go away, that the problems will only be compounded over time, and that delay only adds to the cost. The men and women that serve on this department put themselves at risk every day to protect this community, and should be afforded a safe station from which to work. The risk of cancer in the fire service is significant. We need to provide a facility that helps to combat this, to keep these responders safe. The Town of Charlestown is growing. The demands on the fire department are growing. Charlestown needs to be serious about improving its tax situation. It needs to continue to attract investment by business, industry, and future tax base growth. Having a modern and effective fire department is essential to that growth, and that starts with having a safe and efficient station.
The committee will continue working hard throughout the next year finalizing plans for the new station; and identifying, applying for, and hopefully being awarded grant funding to help keep the financial impact of this project as minimal as possible for the community.
The committee looks forward to the approval of the town when they vote “yes” on Article 9.