By: Lydia Crawley
The Parsons Advocate
Davis Volunteer Fire Department Chief Alan Cosner is involved in a $1 million upgrade project for the Fire Hall. According to Cosner, the expansion project will add onto the building to create a full time shelter. “I have been working with an architect cause I would like to expand and redo the building to turn it into a full time shelter,” Cosner said. “That way it will benefit the community and we can grow a little bit.”
According to Cosner, a part time shelter is only able to house people for 48 hours without showers whereas, a full time shelter has showers and is able to house people long term in case of emergency. The shelter would be available in case of natural disaster or other unforeseen need, Cosner said. “Like a Storm Sandy or something like that,” Cosner said. “If people would need it, we would be able to house them for long term, if need be.”
According to Cosner, the hope is with the upgrades, the building would become available for Red Cross coordination in case of emergency need. “With having the showers and stuff in there, now you can get Red Cross in there to run it for you,” Cosner said.
According to Cosner, the current building is limited due to the age, but the upgrade will be 100% ADA accessible. “There are so many benefits to upgrading. It will also be 100% handicap accessible.”
The project will likely take 10 years, according to Cosner, due to the time needed for paperwork, approvals and financing. “I’ve said its a 10 year project,” Cosner said. “It will probably take us that long to get the paperwork and the funding sorted out.”
According to Cosner, the project would remove the existing rental hall and completely redo the area. “We’ll just take this whole back rental hall off and completely redo it,” Cosner said.
According to Cosner, the existing addition has had problems with the construction since it was first completed. Among the issues Cosner outlined were several problems with the roof including inadequate pitch that has led to leaks and repeated coats of rubber roofing that has compromised the load integrity, according to Cosner. “They didn’t put enough pitch on the roof and it has leaked since it was built,” Cosner said.
Cosner said the expansion project will have full living quarters. According to Cosner, the upstairs will accommodate bunk rooms for fire crews in case of emergency or if in the future the Department becomes a paid unit. “It will have a fully functioning kitchen in it and the showers,” Cosner said. “We’ll have enough room upstairs that we can have bunk rooms so if something happens and we need to stay down here for extended periods of time…I’ll already have the room for the people or fire fighters.”
Cosner said he has been working with an architect for over a year to develop drawings and other documentations and estimates needed to apply for grant funding on the project. Cosner said he is also accepting donations towards the project. To donate towards the shelter project, Cosner said donations can be submitted at the Davis Volunteer Fire Department, Davis Town Hall and Grant County Bank with a notation that it is for the Building Fund.