By Audrey Levine Staff Writer
With a design beginning take shape, the Borough Council is preparing to award a contract to begin construction of the new Office of Emergency Management Building in Lost Valley — possibly by the end of the month, according to officials. — The building, planned for the area of the former recreation center, will provide space for storage and offices in its 3,072-square-foot building.
According to Kenneth Otrimski, Manville OEM director, the building will cost about $800,000 plus the purchase of all the equipment, including radios and computers.
Borough Administrator Gary Garwacke said after the March 2006 fire that tore through the old recreation center, the borough received about $300,000 in insurance money, which will go toward the construction of the new OEM building. The remaining cost will be financed by bonds.
The building, Mr. Otrimski said, will store emergency equipment, including boats for use during floods, donated medical supplies and other equipment.
In addition, he said, the building will house offices for the OEM, Fire Chief Tom Collins, and a conference space for the Board of Engineers, which is made up of fire officers, including the chief, captain and lieutenants. Other space in the building will be set aside for training and other gatherings.
The building will have a fitness room for emergency medical personnel. Mr. Otrimski said the fitness equipment will be donated by a health club in Hillsborough, saving the borough about $100,000.
”There will also be a mezzanine storage area above the offices,” Mr. Garwacke said. “This entire building will be a focal point for meeting in emergencies.”
Once the equipment is moved to the new building, Mr. Otrimski said, he will have to make sure the emergency radios will be compatible with those used by the county. He said one goal of the centralized location for emergency medical services is to improve response time in the event of another flood or any other disaster.
”We will set up the radios so we can dispatch from that building and be self-sufficient,” he said, noting police officers are currently used as dispatchers during emergencies, but that this will not be necessary in the new building. “Everything will be manned by volunteers.”
As soon as the construction goes out to bid, Mr. Otrimski said he hopes the main frame of the building can be finished before early spring, with possibly all the equipment moved in before the summer.
At Monday’s Borough Council meeting, local businessman Dean Shepherd questioned the need to construct such an expensive building for emergency services. He asked whether it would be possible to use only the insurance money so as not to cost the residents any extra expenses.
”Why can’t we use the insurance money for a smaller building of just offices, not storage?” he asked, questioning why equipment cannot be kept at the different fire stations throughout the borough.
Mr. Garwacke said most of the equipment kept at the building will be items not normally used by the Fire Department, but by only the OEM during natural disasters.
Mr. Otrimski said any fire equipment stored in the OEM building will be that needed during floods and other disasters, but will not be kept there permanently.
Overall, despite the expense of the building, Mr. Otrimski said it will be necessary to properly provide for the borough in the event of another emergency.
”Especially where the town is situated, we know another disaster could happen,” he said. “But everything has to be done a certain way and the expenditure is needed in the long run. It’s all for everyone’s benefit.”