Small town of Silver Cliff breaks ground on fire station nearly two years since tornado
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SILVER CLIFF, Wis. (WFRV) – After nearly two years since a tornado hit their community, the town of Silver Cliff in Marinette County has broken ground on a new fire station.
In June 2022, the town was devastated by a tornado that downed trees and destroyed buildings, including the fire station. Last week, Governor Tony Evers awarded a $1 million grant to the town, putting them at their $3.7 million goal for the project.
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Town chairman Bruce Weber says, “We are so far from any hospitals that the fire department and rescue squad needed this building to be able to respond properly and to save lives.”
Since the tornado, emergency crews have been using a garage area close by, but Fire Chief Alan Walesh says it’s been a struggle to function in the space.
“Certain fires need certain trucks. You have to move other ones out of the way to get the other ones out,” Walesh explains.
However, when the new building is complete, that will change. The new fire station will be 12,000 square feet and have other amenities, including beds, a fill station for trucks, and a training area.
About the beds, Weber says, “Everybody knows that it’s been a huge problem to recruit people to work on volunteer rescue squads. Our town is so small, and we don’t have a very big pool of people to pull from, so by putting bedrooms here, we can reach out farther to recruit people from outside of our area.”
He also added that while the town is still clearing downed trees and hopes to one day restore their park, he says this is a huge step in the town’s recovery.
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In addition to the grant, much of the money was gathered through community fundraising and donations. Town chairperson Dee Farley says, “This is a very supportive community in which we live. Silver Cliff residents donated a lot of time and a lot of effort to get this project going. There were countless hours of cleanup after the tornado, so it’s a welcoming event.”
Construction for the building will start May 1st and is expected to be completed by October.
