BY MARIE McCAIN
The Cincinnati Enquirer
HARRISON -- Work could begin in November on adding two bays to the city's fire station downtown, as well as constructing a centralized record storage area and giving firefighters dormitorylike living conditions at the station.
City council has approved getting bids for the construction, and they should be let within the next two weeks, said Fire Chief Alan Kinnett.
The new bays will increase to seven the number at the fire station at the corner of Harrison Avenue and Walnut Street. It is intended to relieve crowding at the fire station on West Road and provide indoor quarters for the city's fourth emergency medical services unit.
Councilwoman Deborah Acra, who chairs council's Fire Committee, said the city will also add a centralized storage facility to house documents from several departments and add a six-bed living quarters to the second floor.
She said the city's documents are being stored at different locations in the city, making retrieval a problem.
"Harrison is a lot like any other department in the '90s, in that we're requiring people to be here 24 hours a day now," said Chief Kinnett. "The dormitory facilities in this station were just woefully inadequate. We had people sleeping on a couch. So we took advantage of this construction opportunity, and we specified a six-bed dormitory on the second floor."
Ms. Acra said the chief and the fire department have been trying several years to get more bays but were put off because of the cost. Then the city hit on the idea of piggybacking the bay additions with other improvements.
"Two bays are definitely needed, so we thought why not do dorms and the storage facility?" said Ms. Acra.
Cost of the project is about $200,000.
Ms. Acra said the centralized storage facility will be for the entire city. "Each department will have their own section," she said.
The project will include an old-fashioned brass pole for firefighters to slide down to the first floor, where the equipment and engine companies are.
"I'm just thankful," said Chief Kinnett of the whole project. "I think it's going to be money well spent."
Chief Kinnett said work could take four to six months, with a possible opening date next spring.
