CHAMPLAIN, N.Y. (WCAX) – It’s an issue many fire departments in the region are dealing with — space that’s too small for trucks and equipment. The fire district in Champlain, New York, is soon hoping to move into a new space that’s been years in the making.
Chris Trombley, the commissioner of the Champlain Fire District says it’s time for a new facility. He gave us a tour of what looks like a tiny house but is home to the district’s administration building. It’s one of two buildings that has served as a home base for volunteer firefighters for 24 years.
“The trucks have gotten bigger and not smaller since then and really the whole shift of the town has moved to this area,” Trombley said.
He says voters last year approved a measure that allocates almost $7 million for the creation of a new fire station, which will be located at the intersection of Routes 9 and 11. A station that he says will help become a draw for the next generation of volunteers. “Recruitment and retention is probably the biggest challenges that we have, both keeping our current volunteers and recruiting new volunteers, and that’s true for everybody around the whole mutual aid system. So, we hope that this building will help augment that,” he said.
A boost for the fire district with work potentially starting next week. “Now that we have had our groundbreaking this week, construction will start hopefully next week, we will start seeing some movement here,” Trombley said.
Construction is expected to take a little over a year.