The Firehouse Building Committee is making progress in hammering out a building design that suits the town’s needs with no added frills. “Everyone fully understands the budgetary constraints,” First Selectman Matt Riiska said.
He said the building committee, with input from other firefighters, is looking at “what we can get rid of, what we can do later. There are no BarcaLoungers, no big TVs, no bunk rooms—what is there is for function. The committee is very aware of the costs.”
Indeed, although a firm cost analysis has yet to be completed, projected costs for the project have risen from around $5 million when the project was first proposed several years ago to $8 million or more in the current market.
“We’re trying to plan for 50 to 75 years out,” Riiska continued. “We’re all going to be on the same page as to what is needed.”
“It is up to date as far as equipment, technology and mechanics, proper ventilation—all the critical stuff—are concerned,” he said. “It’s a very function-oriented building.”