Work on fire HQ could be done by fall

Work on a new home for the East Fork Fire & Paramedic Districts could be completed by the end of September.

A lot's riding on completion of work on the former Department of Motor Vehicles building located on County Road.

The districts headquarters have occupied about half of the main floor in the Minden Inn since it reopened in 1992 after being renovated for county offices.

After 17 years located on Esmeralda Avenue, Districts Chief Tod Carlini said moving to County Road will be a positive change.

"This is the first time the districts have had a permanent home," he said. "It has been in four different venues since its creation. This will be a huge opportunity."

The new location is across the street from Minden Station 14, which has become a hub for the district.

"It's in a good location, across from what we consider to be one of our main stations," he said.

The former DMV building was sold to the county in December 2007 for $810,000. Carlini said the district is buying the building from the county in a lease-purchase deal.

The district is expanding the building, which was shaped like an "L," to add meeting space.

"We'll be able to establish a dedicated emergency center," he said. "We'll also be able to support some of the library's functions, by having space for meetings. We're also looking at consolidating the server rooms for both the library and the districts."

Included in the $650,000 renovation is installation of fiber optic lines to the courthouse, Minden Inn and station 14, as well as the library.

Work is being done by Bison Construction. County Project Manager Scott McCullough is serving as project manager.