Orchard Seeks Bids For Fire Hall Addition

Bigger equipment means a bigger fi re hall is needed for the Orchard Fire Department.

“We just don’t want to let limited space be the reason we can’t go with a certain fi re truck someday or with a certain ambulance,” said Josh Stelling, who is in his first year as president of the Orchard Fire Department. “I don’t want space to be a limiting factor for updating equipment.”

Plans are taking shape to construct a 50-foot by 30-foot addition onto the south side of the existing fire hall, with two garage doors on the east side and one on the west side.

Stelling said fundraising for the project will be a group effort between the Orchard Fire and Rescue Department, the Rural Fire Board and the Orchard Village Board.

“If each of the three does something, we really only have to come up with, mathematically, a third of the money per entity," Stelling said.

He also said the fire department hopes to cut back on labor expenses by doing some of the finishing work themselves, and the village board has echoed that sentiment. He said the community has expressed a desire to keep as much of the business for the project as local as possible.

“I think it’s only good for us to support local businesses as much as we can. If we don’t support them, they won’t be here when we need them down the road,” Stelling said.
​
The Village of Orchard is accepting bids for the construction until their January 14, 2019, meeting. Those with questions about the project are encouraged to contact a fi re department, village board, or rural board member.

---