Red Wing will add west side fire station in ’18

Nov. 29--RED WING -- The city council approved a new fire station for Red Wing's west side Monday night. The station would be constructed in 2018.

Red Wing Fire Chief Shannon Draper presented the plans to the council for the fire station, the city's second, to be built at the intersection of Moundview Drive and Highwoods Trail, across U.S. Highway 61 from Burnside Elementary School. The cost of the new fire station, which would include three bays and sleeping accommodations for six, would be $3,655,200. That includes $150,000 in furnishings. Draper estimated yearly utilities would run $17,089.

"That area represents 31 percent of our calls," Draper said, referring to the west side of town. He said response times to the west side are too slow from the downtown station, and the changing nature of house fires means quicker response times are needed. New construction materials and modern furnishings -- which use less natural fibers that tend to burn more slowly -- mean a fire reaches its most dangerous levels of heat in three to four minutes instead of 12 minutes.

"Firefighters and paramedics are saving lives every day," he said. "It's the time that's impacting our calls, not the equipment."

The cost of the new station would also include about $128,000 in new salary impacting the general fund due to increased staffing, he said. But some of those costs would be recouped by less overtime, more earnings on ambulance calls, and lower insurance rates for citizens due to a better safety rating for the city as a whole. "Homes in that area will see an average of 30 percent savings on insurance," he said. "That's quite a bit for these homeowners who live in Red Wing and are paying taxes, but not getting protection."

In addition to the new fire station, the council approved $539,000 for a new training facility so Red Wing fire, police and its nearby communities can train on site rather than pay for training in Rochester. The training station would be adjacent to the new fire station, Draper said. All combined, the new Red Wing Public Safety Campus would cost $4,190,200, he said. The city had budgeted for $4.5 million for it in 2018.

"The majority of the people I've talked to are opposed to this, and because of that I can't support this," said council member Kim Beise. Along with council member Dan Munson, who said the city could not afford the fire station, Beise voted no, but the fire station plans were approved 4-2. Council member Lisa Bayley was not present. The training facility was approved 6-0.

The city council also unanimously approved a change to the Red Wing Port Authority's enabling resolution. The main change, said City Council Administrator Kay Kuhlmann, is that it narrows the scope of the port authority's administrative development and requires the port to use city employees as its staff.

"This does not change the port authority's ability to act as an economic development entity," she said.

Finally, the city held a public hearing on its five-year capital improvement program, but there were no public speakers on the topic. The council will vote on the CIP at its next meeting.

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