STOCKBRIDGE -- Stockbridge and West Stockbridge are planning a new $5 million firehouse to provide shared professional fire, ambulance and EMT services, with several potential sites under consideration off Route 102.
Among the locations discussed recently by the town's Fire Station Planning Committee is a two-acre lot off Route 183 (Glendale Road) owned by the Stockbridge Land Trust in partnership with the Laurel Hill Association.
That site, another lot adjacent to the town's transfer station, and others adjacent to the intersection of Routes 183 and 102 would serve the towns best for improved response times, according to a study cited by committee chairman Peter Socha at a recent committee meeting.
Pending a final recommendation, several other nearby locations also were discussed by the group.
"It's quite a list to start with, and this will be an ongoing discussion," Socha said.
The committee also voted to recommend to the Select Board a request for proposals to appoint a project manager for the fire station.
Interior needs for the new shared-services fire station include at least six bunk rooms, bathrooms, a kitchen, dedicated meeting and training rooms, decontamination and exercise rooms and administrative offices, said Stockbridge firefighter-paramedic Kevin Brown.
The station also could serve as the town's primary or alternate emergency operations center, potentially taking over from or supplementing the current fire station on Main Street just east of the downtown business district, Emergency Management Director Scott Muir suggested.
Committee member Jay Bikofsky, the chairman of the Finance Committee, emphasized the value of seeking ideas from fire department members. "It's critical, because they see things we may not see," Bikofsky said.
Initial funding for the ambitious shared-services department has been approved by Stockbridge annual town meeting voters and by the West Stockbridge Select Board.
The two-town department would include eight full-time professionals, including an EMS director plus one full-time fire chief, with 24/7 year-round coverage by 2028. A paramedic would be on hand for every shift.
Both towns are in a strong enough financial position to handle the start-up costs and annual operations, Stockbridge Town Administrator Michael Canales has said.
"It's a very complex but absolutely necessary endeavor for an aging population," Bikofsky said.
The proposed annual salary and benefits cost for the full department would be just under $1 million, with 60 percent covered by Stockbridge and 40 percent by West Stockbridge, using a formula that combines the population and the total valuation of the two towns.
A new ambulance costing about $478,000 to be staffed by full-time firefighters/EMTs would be based at the new fire station.
The new substation would house the existing Stockbridge ambulance and staff. The construction cost is projected at nearly $5.3 million, fully funded and owned by Stockbridge through a long-term loan.
A transitional plan for Stockbridge and West Stockbridge through July 1, 2027, includes West Stockbridge sharing Stockbridge Fire Chief Vincent Garofoli as fire chief.
Until the project is completed in several years, EMS coverage continues through an existing shared-services agreement with Lee and Lenox.