Harrison Township firefighters plan open house for station improvements

The Harrison Township Volunteer Fire Department will host an open house for the public to see improvements and the expansion of its fire station from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. July 27.

“We’ve been working on it for several years,” said project manager Dick Bray. The project was funded through a handful of sources, including fundraisers, donations, and trustee support, to support the approximate $900,000 final price.

Bray began sketches for the upgrades in 2017. Some of the highlights include a locker room, a weightlifting room, a kitchen, and an unfinished loft, giving the department the ability to expand to 24 hours if the need arises.

“As the township grows, people are going to need more than daytime during the week,” said Bray. In addition to having a new range of capabilities, and improved response times, Bray said the upgrades may make it easier to recruit volunteers, as it’s easier to get people motivated with the new facilities.

“When we finally got this all complete, it just was really super,” said Bray.

Harrison Township Volunteer Fire Department Board President John Prohaska said the storage upgrades were the most beneficial addition.

“It’s a lot more efficient for them to operate,” Prohaska said. Before the expansion, equipment was stored in the original 50×50 station, between the trucks. Keeping protective gear on the apparatus floor slowed response times and raised concerns about health.

After finishing upgrades in the spring, Prohaska believes that the open house will be a great way to strengthen the relationship with the community they serve, and show off the new station.

“I wanted to be sure we’d build a building that would serve the community for the next 50 years,” said Prohaska.

Fire Chief David Dwyer sees the benefit in storage, the loft, the kitchen, and the expanded office spaces. Before, every member of the department shared one office, but the company has now added three offices and a conference room.

The expansion has also helped training to be more efficient.

“Training is one of the biggest aspects of firefighting,” said Dwyer.

While it is a physical job, Dwyer believes the mental training is just as important. Before, only 12 students could fit in the conference area. With the new conference room, they can train double that. In addition to a bigger space, they also have a TV as opposed to a projector, which allows for clearer viewing of training materials.

Dwyer also noted that the station has added public restrooms that are handicap accessible, in one of the steps the station has taken to be more accommodating to the public.

Running a fire station is costly, between health, money, and time. Dwyer hopes the open house will continue to foster mutual respect between the community and the Harrison Township Volunteer Fire Company.

“We do get a lot of appreciation from the community,” Dwyer said.

Dwyer is looking forward to seeing the public at the open house, and having the opportunity to show the upgraded fire station, an effort years in the making.

“I would love to have more people that live in the community come by the station and see what we have,” said Dwyer.