Fire district in Albion looks to add website, sign and uniforms
ALBION – The Albion Joint Fire District, which officially started on Jan. 1, faces many tasks – some big and some small – as the new entity overseeing fire protection for the towns of Albion and Gaines as well as the Village of Albion.
The five fire commissioners voted Thursday evening to seek bids for a quint ladder truck. That truck would replace a ladder truck from 1994 and also a fire engine from 1991. The quint would have the ability to pump water and carry some water, while also deploying a ladder that would stretch 110 feet.
The commissioners could vote to accept a bid at their next meeting on Aug. 14. The truck is expected to cost about $2.2 million. It will be a major purchase for the district.
Commissioners are weighing other costs that are far less, but still important. During Thursday’s meeting, commissioners discussed having a new sign on the fire hall on Platt Street. It may just be lettering that states Albion Joint Fire District. Commissioners are seeking a defined proposal for the sign.
They also have received two proposals to develop a website for the fire district, with ongoing IT support and maintenance. One proposal was for $1,995 to set up the website with a $95 monthly maintenance. That would also provide at least 40 email addresses for the district. Another informal quote was for $980 to set up the website with $185 for host maintenance for the whole year. Commissioners want more details on the proposals to make sure the services being offered are similar.
The joint district also is considering purchasing Class A formal uniforms for some of the members. President Scott Papponetti said two companies have not responded to repeated requests for proposals for the uniforms while another, MES, has proposed $800 for each uniform and would come to Albion to fit the firefighters with white buttoned shirts, jackets and pants. The Class A’s also include a hat, belt, neck tie, coat and hardware on the collar with a firefighter’s badge number.
These uniforms are worn at parades, funerals and other special events, such as the Sept. 11 memorial service.
MES also could provide the Class B uniforms with polo shirts, T-shirts and other less formal clothing.
The fire district has $9,000 budgeted for the Class B’s. The district also received $36,313 from the Village of Albion from its insurance company. That money for insurance coverage was approved as part of the village budget for a full fiscal year, from June 1 to May 31. That was when the fire department was part of the village budget. But the fire district started in Jan. 1, with the fire department moved out of the village budget.
The insurance payment had already been approved towards the fire department for 2024-25. That unexpended money was turned over to the district. Commissioners are considering using some of it towards Class A uniforms.
The commissioners want a more detailed proposal from MES on what their quote entails and the costs.
The commissioners also discussed the possibility of new sprinklers and an alarm system in the fire hall.
The board also is looking to adopt a policy for non-members being on fire trucks. The commissioners want to allow family members to be in trucks for parades, and to continue having other community members on the trucks, especially when elementary kids are given a ride on a truck for winning fire prevention contests. Al Cheverie, chairman of the commissioners, said a policy should state that a firefighter or parent of a child would need to be assigned to a kid getting a ride on a fire truck.
Kevin Sheehan, a fire commissioner, said those rides and allowing children of firefighters to ride in the trucks during parades may pay off down the road in firefighter recruitment.
“Having kids involved is how we get the next generation of firefighters,” he said.
The commission on Thursday accepted one new member, Christina Irwin.