Work could be completed by next winter

The architect has signed off, the engineering is complete and the bidding process starts this week for Fire Station No. 12, to be built on Sunridge Drive in Indian Hills.

Designed as a multi-service station, it will mean quicker response times in the area. In addition to offering both fire and paramedic services, the 11,000-square-foot building will house a library kiosk and meeting room for the community, according to Tod Carlini, fire chief for the East Fork Fire & Paramedic Districts.

"It will be a real benefit to Sunridge, but it also affords better access to Indian Hills, Highway 395, Alpine View Estates and the commercial area around Topsy Lane," Carlini said.

Bids for the project must be submitted by April 5 and the project should be completed in 240 days. The station should cost between $2.25 and $3 million, he said.

"That's what we're hoping," Carlini said. "If we get acceptable bids, we could be in the station by February of 2008."

Services are currently split between the Plymouth and Alpine View fire stations, but will be incorporated into the new station.

"We're hoping to increase volunteer recruitment by centralizing assets in one facility," he said.

Three full-time employees and eight to 10 volunteers will staff the station. The full-time personnel are to be transferred from the nearby Plymouth station, which will be used to house reserve apparatus, Carlini said.

Designed to minimize waste in all phases of construction, the metal-and-brick structure has been "value engineered," from the design of the brickwork to windows and ceiling tiles. The ceiling has been lowered to conserve energy and the landscaping uses drought-tolerant plants to minimize water use, Carlini said.

Funding for the project was set aside a few years ago when the Douglas County Board of Commissioners invoked special property tax for the project. The tax was retired after three years, Carlini said.

The project was delayed when Indian Hills considered cityhood because if approved, the property would then have to be transferred to that city, but those efforts failed, Carlini said.

"The commission was not willing to consider money gathered from all over the county for a project that would be deeded to Indian Hills," he said.

With few exceptions, the East Fork Fire & Paramedic District has paid outright for projects. One bond, for Station 14, was floated about 10 years ago and that has been paid off, Carlini said.

East Fork Fire & Paramedic Districts are one of Nevada's largest combination fire and emergency medical services agencies, supporting 10 volunteer fire departments. The district employs 53 personnel in fire and emergency medical service roles, in addition to nine others in support and clerical positions.

Last year, the districts responded to over 4,500 calls, 87 percent of those for emergency medical services. The districts contain over 650 square miles of urban, interface and non-interface areas.