Hope Fire Chief Todd Martin Speaks to Hope Kiwanis Club

The Hope Kiwanis Club heard from Hope Fire Chief Todd Martin on April 9th.  Chief Martin talked about the current main fire station and the city’s hopes for building a new one.  Chief Martin noted the main station was built in 1939 at a cost of $26,000.  Chief Martin noted they have some floor issues at the moment and the reason is the weight of the fire trucks.  He noted when the station was built, an average fire truck weighed 2,500 pounds.  An average fire truck now weighs between 38,000 and 60,000 pounds, plus 1,000 gallons of water loaded on a truck adds an additional 8,000 pounds.  Chief Martin says he is meeting with a concrete man this week to look at a place on the floor that needs attention.   The station also can’t accommodate modern fire trucks as they are wider and taller than the trucks the station was built for.

Chief Martin said of the city gets to build a new fire station they hope to have a training room and a gym for work-out equipment,   He said they hope to build a one-story facility with four or five bays.  A new location has not been set but he noted North Hervey has been suggested for a location due to the underpass under the railroad.  Chief Martin also said a new station would have to be where the trucks could be “pulled through” instead of having to back trucks in.

The city hopes to see a temporary sales tax that would sunset after a few years.  Plans are to put the proposed tax on the November ballot.  The city hopes to seek fund for a new main fire station and parks improvements.