Improvements Triple Space of CT Fire Station

KILLINGLY, CT—Members of the South Killingly Fire Department threw open their station's new bay doors on Saturday to show off an expanded and refurbished fire house that officials said has improved both operations and morale.

The Providence Pike building recently got a $950,000 makeover that essentially added a new west wing to the original 63-year-old structure. Three new drive-through bays – one large enough for gear racks and cleaning areas – give firefighters about triple the space to park vehicles, conduct training and stretch out, Chief Seth DeAngelis said.

The project, approved by voters last year and completed on April 1 with the help of some reserve funding, also added new electronic check-in monitors and gear storage and wash areas, repaired a sagging old bay deck and expanded the station's parking area while also addressing other structural problems.

"From an operations standpoint, it's a huge thing just to be able to get around the bays," DeAngelis said. "We have the space to do winter training inside now without moving the trucks out into freezing temperatures."

Before the addition, members would have to carefully cram four fire vehicles into one bay, a configuration that proved challenging when a specialized piece of equipment was needed quickly.

"Getting out the fire boat, which was stored under the stairs, meant pulling other vehicles out first just so we could get to it," DeAngelis said. "That could easily take six or seven minutes, which doesn't sound like a lot, but if you're in the water even a minute it's a long time."

But beyond the practical improvements, the project also has instilled a new sense of pride among the members, said DeAngelis, who served as a U.S. Marine.

"Esprit-de-corps is huge, especially during a time when so many departments are having trouble finding new recruits and retaining new members," he said. "Once you have that pride, half the battle is over."

On Saturday, visitors browsed the new bay areas where a long table held various items highlighting the department's history. A set of minutes from 1956 showed discussions on the creation of the department while several newspaper clippings recounted calls responded to throughout the decades, from landfill fires to a large coop blaze which killed 8,000 chickens. Several children walked around in miniature versions of turn-out gear and plastic fire helmets near grillers browning burgers and hot dogs.

Dept. Chief Travis Vandale said he's personally seen the renewed enthusiasm the project has engendered anytime he drives by the fire house.

"You'll see two or three guys with the trucks out on the pads sweeping up the station – they want to be here," he said. "There's a lot of pride in this station."

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