It was close, very close.
But, in the end, the Merkel Fire Department came up short.
They were eight votes away from a $5 million bond they were going to use for a new fire station.
"We’re a little disappointed the bond didn’t pass, but that’s okay. We’re gonna keep moving forward. Like I said, we had moved equipment around previously to make sure you know the ambulance service, they had room inside the city limits. So moving forward we still have some plans and some thoughts of stuff to do but we’re kind of in a holding pattern. We’re gonna take a couple months off to figure out what we need to do to figure out what’s best for the citizens and the Merkel Fire Department," ," Assistant Fire Chief, Justin Ray told KTXS.
Ray told us with record voter turnout, the election was close.
"I think it was like seven people away, seven votes away from tying, I think it was eight to win it," Ray said.
"Taylor County EMS, they were awarded the contract to place their ambulances in the county. They needed a place to stay and keep their equipment, and so we offered up our southside fire station. So currently they have a full-time ambulance that’s staffed out of there as well as a backup ambulance that’s staffed out of there. In part of doing that, we had to move equipment to our north station."
With 24 firefighters, the 58-year-old station is very crowded. Crews have inches when they back apparatus into the bay.
"It’s one of those things. The building is falling apart, we know that. We obviously, we’re out of room. Can we make do for a little bit longer? Sure. It’s not gonna be the best of things as y’all know. Like I said the building leaks. We have issues with it falling down. But as far as right now, that’s what we have to deal with and that’s what we’re gonna deal with."
