SOMERS-LAKESIDE FIRE DEPARTMENT
Rural, volunteer fire department serving the Montana communities of Somers, Lakeside, and Lower Valley
NEW FIRE HALL; PLANS AND INFO.
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"WHY DO WE NEED A NEW FIRE HALL?"
Our current Fire Hall, located at 27 Lesley Avenue in Somers, is around 60 years old. It served our community well in its time, but it has begun to present many age related problems. It is inefficient. The truck bays are small and cannot accommodate the bigger size of many modern trucks. The size is not suited to the growing needs of our district. The location of the current hall, while once central and well-positioned, is now subject to congestion from the town that grew up around it. Lastly, like many aging buildings, it presents with more and more maintenance issues and associated, unexpected, costs every year.
"IF SIZE IS A CONCERN, WHY NOT EXPAND THE CURRENT FIRE HALL?"
The current hall has been extended several times, and there is no further room for expansion at the location.
"WHY DO WE NEED A BIGGER HALL?"
We have several aging trucks which will need replacement in the not-too-distant future. To best serve our community we want to replace these trucks with modern, larger trucks, that unfortunately cannot fit in the current fire hall. Our current budget can support periodic truck replacement, the major roadblock is where to put bigger trucks. And of course, as we all know, Flathead Valley, including our fire district, only continues to grow. The increased size of the proposed fire hall will serve the community for many years to come, having several options for future expansion already factored in.
"WHAT ARE THE MAIN FEATURES OF THE NEW FIRE HALL?"
The new hall will have three full-size, pull-through truck bays, each long enough to accommodate two trucks. This will give us a minimum capacity of 6 trucks. In addition, the first floor will have a large community room and kitchen to provide a gathering place for a wide variety of events, including the Somers Annual Harvest Dinner, hosted each November. The second floor, while proposed to remain unfinished during this first construction phase, has planned space for a bunk room, class room, and other areas to accommodate the possibility of shift-working firefighters.
All spaces will be larger, allowing for more volunteers, bigger equipment, and more efficient working conditions. This will enable us, the volunteer fire-fighters of our district to serve the community to the very best of our ability.