City not giving up on fire hall project

The Sundance Volunteer Fire Department is not giving up its hopes to expand and improve the fire hall, despite being unsuccessful in securing American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding during the last two go-arounds.

Fire Chief Gari Gill said last week that there are several options being pursued. The first is the Assistance to Firefighters Grants program through FEMA, which funds critically needed resources for emergency personnel.

New grants will be available at the beginning of next year, he said, and these could be pursued for the fire hall expansion. However, he cautioned that, “for the last six or seven years, they’ve only done equipment”.

Gill is also looking into the possibility of assistance from private foundations and watching the State Loans and Investments Board to see if money becomes available.

He commented, “We’ll see if we can’t come up with something.”

The project is considered necessary because the building has been in use since the 1980s; during the interim, equipment has continued to increase in size, from the gear worn by firefighters to the trucks themselves. According to Gill, the department is also sorely in need of a training room.

The renovations would also allow for a new primary exit to be added on the south side of the building, which would mean that firefighters responding to a call will no longer need to emerge onto the highway. The south is also easier to keep free of ice and snow.

The amount requested through the ARPA program to complete this project was $648,000.