Springfield fire station construction projects to be funded by level property tax

(From the Springfield Fire Department)

Two of Springfield’s most underserved areas are getting brand-new fire stations while two of its oldest stations will be demolished and rebuilt, thanks to the renewal of the Level Property Tax in November 2017.

“We are keeping our promise to Springfield voters,” said Fire Chief David Pennington.

The City is soliciting letters of interest and qualification statements until 3 p.m. March 1 from firms interested in providing architectural services for four fire station projects across the city. A pre-submittal meeting will be held at 1:30 p.m. Feb. 1 at the former Springfield Mill & Lumber Building classroom, 216 W. Central St. Firms have until 3 p.m. Feb. 15 to email questions to PWRFQ@springfieldmo.gov before submitting their statements of qualifications.

Two of the projects – Fire Station 13 in the 1900 block of West College in the West Central neighborhood and Fire Station 14 at the northeast corner of West Chestnut Expressway and North Duke Avenue – are brand-new stations, while two will replace Fire Station 4 at 2423 N. Delaware and Fire Station 7 at 2129 E. Sunshine.

“I am very excited about building two new fire stations in underserved areas of Springfield, both of which have high fire risk,” said Pennington. “These new stations will reduce the amount of travel time for our fire crews to reach emergencies in these areas."

Pennington said that Fire Stations 4 and 7, which were built in the 1950s and ‘60s, have long exceeded their usefulness.

“We look forward to replacing 4 and 7 with modern facilities and equipment,” he said.

The City recently purchased the lots for Fire Station 13 and is working to complete a lot combination and demolition of on-site residential structures.

Community Risk Reduction

In addition to addressing fire risk with new stations, the Fire Department’s Community Risk Reduction efforts include Project RED Zone, (Reduce, Educate, Deliver) – a multifaceted campaign to reduce fires and fire deaths in Springfield.

“Community Risk Reduction is about prioritizing our fire risks as a community and working together to invest the time and resources necessary to reduce them,” Pennington said.

Data shows that 42 percent of Springfield homes in which a fire occurred in 2016 had no working smoke alarms and two-thirds of all Springfield homes don’t have enough smoke alarms to adequately protect the occupants. The Fire Department recommends smoke alarms be installed on every level of the home, outside each sleeping area and in every bedroom.

As part of Project RED Zone, fire crews go door to door on Saturdays canvassing neighborhoods and offering to test smoke alarms, replacing batteries and installing new alarms when needed.

As of Project RED Zone’s launch in April 2017, fire crews have:
visited more than 14,000 homes in Grant Beach, West Central, Heart of the Westside, Woodland Heights, Westside Community Betterment, Tom Watkins, Robberson, and Doling Park neighborhoods;
tested nearly 4,200 smoke alarms;
installed 2,246 new smoke alarms and;
replaced 642 batteries.

“We will continue these efforts by moving more into Zone 2 during 2019,” Pennington said. “Our community risk reduction efforts would not be possible without the support of our citizens and grants from the American Red Cross, Springfield Public Schools and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.”

RFQ Timeline
Feb. 1, 1:30 PM: Pre-submittal meeting with consultants at Springfield Mill & Lumber Classroom, 216 W. Central Street.
Feb. 15, 3 p.m.: Deadline for questions to PWRFQ@springfieldmo.gov.
Feb. 25: City to post final addendum (if required).
March 1, 3 p.m.: Deadline for submittal of Statement of Qualifications to PWRFQ@springfieldmo.gov.
April 5: Selection committee completes first round of submittal review.
April 29-May 3: Selection committee conducts interviews
May 3: Selection committee completes selection of top firm.
June 28: Professional design contract issued.