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Kelsie Clark SMITHFIELD -- After nearly eight years of planning and waiting, the fire department's much-needed new station house is finally becoming a reality. Originally built in 1910 as a milk farm, Smithfield's current fire station is small and in need of endless repairs. "It's old and dilapidated," says Fire Chief Jay Downs. "We've grown out of it." Specifically, says Downs, the training room is much too small for the station's crew of 35, and due to the lack of space, four fire trucks have to be housed at other facilities. "The heat bill is atrocious in the winter. It's a constant battle." Smithfield Mayor Ray Winn says the idea of building a new station has had his full support from the beginning. "The old [station] is in terrible shape," Winn says. "The first earthquake that comes will take it down -- then how would we respond to a disaster?" In August when the City Council was presented with the conditions of the current station, it, too, saw the need and voted in favor of the new facility. As soon as the project became official, Downs, Winn, the council and a building committee began looking at possible sites. Downs said the three main criteria they considered at each site were size, location and price. Of the six areas they examined, the lot at 300 W. 100 North was selected as the site that would best fit the criteria and accommodate the needs and growth of the department. Winn said the new facility will cost around $400,000, and emphasized that Smithfield residents will not have a tax increase to pay for it. "The city had about half the money saved, and we'll borrow the rest over a period of time," Winn said. "Everybody was for this. The community seems supportive; we haven't had any complaints yet." Downs says construction is expected to begin around March and end in late summer of next year. When the new station is complete it will be 125 by 80 feet. It will include a large truck bay, training room, exercise room, classroom, shop, infectious control room, break room, kitchen, offices and storage space. Outside there will be a large, grassy area and a pavilion, which will be used for training drills. As for the current station, its future is unknown. Winn says donating it to the historical society is a possibility. "It's been a good building and it's served its purpose," says Downs, "but it's time to get a new one."
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