Officials Want to Get Rid of Old WI Fire Station

MILTON — Milton fire officials don't recommend keeping the city's outdated fire station at 614 W. Madison St. much longer, according to a recently released report.

Former Fire Chief Randy Banker, who oversaw the Janesville and Milton fire departments, and other officials believe modernizing the Milton station is not ideal because of cost and location, according to the report.

In August, the Milton Joint Fire Commission asked Banker and fire staff to provide a report with four potential options for a new station.

The four options include:

• Renovating or replacing the fire station at its current location.
• Renovating the existing station and building a shared fire station with the Janesville Fire Department on the north side of Janesville.
• Building a new fire station within the Milton fire district.
• Building a shared station with the Janesville Fire Department on Janesville’s north side and building a new station in the Milton fire district.

The report advises against the first two options. However, the commission could choose to ignore that recommendation.

Milton's fire station was built in the 1970s by members of the fire department.

The facility's heating and cooling systems, lighting, showers, locker areas, office and storage space, training areas and emergency vehicle parking are now outdated and inadequate. Handicapped-accessible upgrades are also needed, according to the report.

Remodeling the old station requires partial or full demolition, which increases the cost. Officials believe it will be more cost-effective to build a new facility in a better location to serve the 90-square-mile fire district, according to the report.

The report's authors support the third and fourth options.

If the commission chooses to build one new station, officials recommend building it in a central location within the fire district.

A new station is estimated to cost $4.4 million to $5.1 million. Selling the existing fire station property could reduce that price tag, according to the report.

Officials recommend locating the new station north of the city of Milton if the commission chooses to build a new station and partner with Janesville on a shared station, according to the report.

The Janesville and Milton fire departments began sharing services in early 2016. One year later, Banker suggested the cities eventually could build a shared fire station on property at County Y and Overland Trail, The Gazette has reported.

The Janesville Fire Department eventually will build a station on the parcel, but it is waiting on Milton's decision before making plans.

A consulting firm hired by Milton officials in 2015 also suggested that the two municipalities share fire services.

Contributing to a shared station with Janesville is estimated to cost Milton $1.2 million to $1.5 million in addition to the millions of dollars for a new Milton fire station, according to the report.

Joint fire commission members who spoke to The Gazette on Wednesday agreed the facilities process will be lengthy and there is still much to learn.

They also agreed discussion of a new station will be affected by the hiring of a new chief to replace Banker. A Janesville commission has narrowed the search to five finalists, including Jim Ponkauskas, interim fire chief for both departments.

Jon Jennings, a town of Milton representative, said he is excited for the Milton Fire Department to find its identity with new facilities and potential new staffing options.

Theresa Rusch, a city of Milton representative, said she hopes to hear from firefighters, EMTs and paramedics about what they want.

Lynda Clark, also a city representative, wants the public to help the commission.

The three members said they were waiting to hear from the rest of the commission before choosing a preferred option. The Gazette was unable to reach Chairman Bryan Meyer for comment.

The commission is expected to discuss the report at its next meeting at 7 p.m. Feb. 20 at Milton Town Hall, 23 First St., Milton.

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