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Lebanon, Ore. – Lebanon Fire District is hosting two public meetings on its bond proposal to replace its main fire station and critical emergency apparatus. The public is invited and encouraged to participate.
The meetings will be October 22 at 5:30 p.m. and October 23 at 8:00 a.m. Both meetings will be at 1050 W. Oak St., Lebanon, OR 97355. Station tours will be provided for interested parties so community members can witness challenges with the current facility.
“Most people say that our fire station looks great from the outside,” said Fire Chief Gordon Sletmoe. “We work hard to maintain the exterior for the neighborhood, but it’s inside the facility that impacts our ability to save lives and property.”
The bond would fund the Fire District’s capital needs for the next 25 years at a projected net cost of 14 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value. This is due to the fact that an existing bond of 20 cents will be paid off one year early by the Fire District. The projected increase for taxpayers is $31.50 per year ($2.63 per month) for the average homeowner in the fire district.
Funding will be used to replace three fire engines, two brush trucks, and the main fire station. These vehicles have reached the end of their usable lives and are becoming unreliable. The fire station also is too small to serve the needs of a growing community, and poses a risk to ?re?ghter health and safety.
The Fire District has spent the past year communicating with local residents about challenges it is facing to provide service from the station. For example, firefighters are delayed in responding to emergency calls because living areas are at the farthest point possible from apparatus bays. Some of the sleeping quarters lack windows and none of them have fire sprinklers, which is a safety concern.
The apparatus bay areas also have no effective system to remove diesel exhaust fumes, which are known to cause cancer. The station has been renovated multiple times, yet would not survive an earthquake. The Fire District looked at doing seismic upgrades, but it wasn’t cost effective for a facility of its age and design.
More information on the replacement bond can be found on the fire district’s web site at www.lebanonfire.org. Fire Chief Gordon Sletmoe also is available to answer questions at (541) 451-6103 gsletmoe@lebanonfire.org.