It was reported in the October 11 issue of the Ellenville Journal that “there has been much talk... about bringing all of the [Ellenville fire] companies under one roof. Ellenville's Fire District currently consists of three companies: Kimble Hose, Scoresby and Pioneer.

According to Fred Dupont, Ellenville's Fire Chief for 17 years, “We definitely want to have a consolidated fire house. At this time, there have not been any locations acquired. It is basically just in the pre-planning stages.”

Dupont believes the consolidation would help each individual company because the money that comes from taxpayers pays for the equipment but not the three buildings in the village. Each firehouse is individually owned by each company. Upkeep on those buildings is not funded by taxes. Instead, that money is raised by the firemen themselves through fundraising events.

Dupont cited increasing upkeep costs and the aging condition of the current firehouses as factors in the decision to consolidate into one building that the district itself would maintain. Members of the three houses would no longer have to do fundraising as they do now, and they would be able to spend more time training.

Volunteer fireman and fire commissioner T.J. Briggs raised one possible obstacle to consolidation, saying, “There were some territorial issues among the companies who thought they might lose their identity.”

Originally, the plan was for each company to keep their identity. But Dupont questioned the point of that, offering the hypothetical situation where, if Scoresby had a meeting, they would have nothing to decide (i.e. bills to pay or equipment purchases) because it is all decided by the district as a whole.

“We want to separate the companies themselves and create The Ellenville Fire Company. We would keep the heritage of all three companies,” added Dupont, “But we would then start new somewhere.”

One idea is to build a new structure in place of the Kimble firehouse on the same lot on Berme Road. Dupont was reported in last week's Journal as having “reservations of placing a large facility with fast moving trucks so near a recreational area with children nearby.” But Dupont, in a follow up interview, said he has less of concern if the building is set further back than the current one, away from any children.

While nothing has been decided, Dupont says that the general consensus is to place it on one of the properties for sale within the Village of Ellenville. Other locations being looked at are the building alongside the new village hall and the Getty parking lot on Route 52.

Ellenville Mayor Jeff Kaplan said he is “all for” the consolidation of the fire houses.

“Having three separate stations really only has one benefit and that's an historical value. But in so far as efficiency of finances and location, you can't beat one major locale that would allow them to build a new modern facility. And hopefully, on the other end of it, allow the village to put at least one of those properties back into use as part of the commercial district.”

Kaplan spoke in particular of the Norbury Theater, which he considers as a valuable piece of commercial space for Center Street.

“I'd love to see it back as part of the landscape of economic development in the village. So there would be a double benefit. I think the Kimble site is a perfect spot for it. It opens up into our village park and we own the property around it so we can help them out.”

According to Dupont, the current cost to taxpayers is about $16,000 per house or around $50,000 for all three, per year.

As for the future, Dupont was hesitant to predict just when the process would begin.

“No timetable is set. I've seen firehouses take two years. I've seen some take seven. It depends on the location, and how the funding and the construction go.”

COMMENTS about this article (1)