Bronson Fire southern satellite station in operation
BRONSON — The Bronson Fire Association satellite fire station at Southern and Gilead Lake roads is fully functional, Fire Chief Scott Wilber told the 911 board Wednesday.
With Tanker Ten now in service, the replaced tanker was moved to the new station rather than taken out of service and sold.
The chief said the truck remains fully equipped. Also sharing the station is a mini pumper, a full-service fire truck shrunk to the size of a pickup. "We use that for grass fires, car accidents, that type of stuff," Wilber said.
If the satellite station tanker is not needed, it goes to the main station on standby.
Seven volunteers live near the satellite station, so they can crew a truck without traveling to Bronson. Wilber said, "This results in a quicker response time (for fires south of Bronson)."
The chief said, "I can't say enough about the communities that stepped up to help with this project, the townships that invested some ARPA funds."
Wilber said the project was approved last June after Gilead, Noble, Bethel, and Bronson townships guaranteed to cover costs up to an estimated $140,000.
Gilead Township will pay 50%, Noble Twp. 30% Bethel Twp. 15% and Bronson Twp 5% based on the area of each of the four townships within five road miles of the site.
Prior story Bronson Fire Board approves satellite station
Gilead Township relocated its township hall to the west side of the building.
Matteson and Batavia townships, the other two members of the six townships' 192-square-mile district, were assured they would bear no construction costs. All six will cover maintenance and utilities.
Area contractors donated all the labor with volunteers. Wilber said this saved 10% of the cost.
The only part of the project unfinished is a well to fill trucks at the station. The department hoped to have a 500-gallon-a-minute pump, but Censurers Energy only provides single-phase service to run a 400-gallon-a-minute pump at the location.
In order to get 500 gallon a minutes, the station needs a $20,000 phase converter for a three-phase service.
"So 20 grand to get an additional 100 gallons per minute, it's not going to happen," Wilber said.
The well and pump will be installed within the next two months.
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The Bronson Fire Association plans an open house in May to honor all those who contributed and showoff the station.
-- Contact Don Reid: dReid@Gannett.com
This article originally appeared on Coldwater Daily Reporter: Bronson Fire southern satellite station in operation
