Location, location, location… Public opinion sought on the best location for the new Los Alamos fire station

Location, location, location… Public opinion sought on the best location for the new Los Alamos fire station

Location, location, location… Public opinion sought on the best location for the new Los Alamos fire stationLos Alamos Fire Chief Troy Hughes speaks to attendees at the public meeting held Sept. 23 at Fire Station No. 4. The meeting was held to collect opinions on where the new Fire Station No. 4 building should be located. Courtesy/LAC

By KIRSTEN LASKEY
Los Alamos Daily Post
[email protected]

It is apparent that Los Alamos Fire Station No. 4 on Diamond Drive near Los Alamos Golf Course needs to be replaced. The building, built in 1964, no longer meets the requirements of modern firefighting. It is slightly too small for vehicles and equipment, is not gender appropriate, and is not designed for decontamination requirements.

While the need for a new facility is not up for debate, the location is up for discussion. The district hopes the community will contribute to this issue, said project manager Sobia Sayeda.

“We want to move this project forward and provide a facility that is functional in today’s times and serves the community,” she said.

One of the first steps is choosing a location for the new building. Sayeda has identified three locations that are being considered.

They are the current location at 4401 Diamond Drive, the golf course maintenance yard at 999 San Ildefonso Road and a vacant lot north of the Loma Linda Playground at 101 N. Mesa Road.

These locations were originally proposed to the community at a Sept. 23 meeting at the fire station.

Sayeda said these sites were selected based on a number of criteria that included maintaining emergency response time, property owners, terrain, existing infrastructure, maintaining the current station’s operations during construction, and design and feasibility .

She said public participation would be encouraged to help select the best location, adding that any concerns about noise, traffic and impact on open space should be taken into account.

“We want to make an informed decision and not hinder anyone,” said Sayeda.

Fire Chief Troy Hughes said during the Sept. 23 meeting that the location that was overwhelmingly supported was the existing location.

He added that firefighters also like this option.

“Our people can interact with the public… while our guys are going about their daily activities, they have the opportunity to interact (with those who use the paths around the station, etc.) so even our people like the station where “It’s included.”

Still, Hughes emphasized that “we want to give the public a fair chance to provide feedback.”

Although the three locations are the best choice, Sayeda said each location comes with challenges. She noted that building a new station near the original station requires some grading because there is a slope, and a construction site next to an operating fire station requires some planning.

As for the golf course site, Sayeda said that above-ground utilities would need to be laid there and there would be drainage issues. There are also hiking trails and wildlife to consider. The site would also have to be repurposed.

The land on Loma Linda is attractive because it is flat, but building a fire station would eliminate open space, she said.

Feedback will continue to be sought. A survey is available for the district website for the project. The survey will be conducted until October 7th. Additional public meetings are scheduled for Oct. 15 and 21 at 5:30 p.m. at the Los Alamos Fire Department Administrative Office, 999 Central Ave. A recommended site will go to the County Council for approval on November 12th. Ultimately, the goal is to build and occupy the new fire station sometime in 2025.

Hughes and Sayeda encouraged everyone to contribute.

“The community knows what is in their best interest,” Sayeda said. “We have to evaluate everything and look at everything and compare everything.”

Regardless of where the fire station is located, a new one is required.

Hughes reported during the Sept. 23 meeting that the Department of Energy is asking for more firefighters – the number would rise to 188.

“This project for this station really takes away from that,” he said. “Looking at the new station (and) the new stations in the lab and the things we’ve learned during COVID, we realized it’s important to protect these folks from different types of contamination. When they go into the fire, they absorb a lot of carcinogenic substances. You go to the doctor, sometimes people are sick. Sometimes bodily fluids get on our guys…So when our guys come back, we have to have a place to dispose of them.”

To achieve this, Hughes said the new station should be divided into three distinct sections:

  • A hot zone for fire engines and contaminated equipment and equipment;
  • A warm zone for disinfecting, using washing machines and showers; And
  • The living areas.

“We’re trying to build this station to have those separations so that the firefighters are safe,” he said.

To achieve this, VEGA Architecture was commissioned to design the facility. Hughes mentioned that the same architect is designing the replacement fire stations on the lab site to ensure consistency.

The cost of this construction project is not yet known, but Hughes mentioned during the Sept. 23 meeting that it is planned. He explained that each year the fire department receives money from the state based on its insurance rating, or ISO. The Los Alamos Fire Department is an ISO 1 fire department and therefore receives more than $900,000 per year. It saved $2 million and received another $2 million from the governor’s office about two years ago for capital projects.

Hughes added that building a new facility would not be possible without the support of everyone involved.

“We appreciate the support we have received from the community, the county council and the county manager’s office… without that type of support we would not be doing this and we would have a facility that is not serving our people.”

In Fire Station No. 4 the rooms are separated by curtains. The new facility will provide more privacy. Courtesy/LAC

The kitchen in Fire Station No. 4. Courtesy of LAC

A room in Fire Station No. 4. Courtesy of LAC