[0:10] The Mamemidi Fire Department has been [0:12] proudly serving our community for more [0:14] than 50 years, including Willery, Pine [0:17] Springs, and Grant. This station was [0:19] built in 1980. It was built for the [0:22] past, not the present. Which is why [0:24] we'll be constructing a new facility to [0:26] build a stronger future for the women [0:28] and men who bravely serve. [0:29] >> What? [0:30] >> Hi, I'm Fire Chief Joel Schmidt. In the [0:32] relatively short time I've served as [0:34] chief, I've witnessed how staff have [0:36] been impacted by the inefficiency of [0:38] this building as well as meeting the [0:40] needs of our community. Therefore, we're [0:42] asking for a new building to adequately [0:44] support our staff and community. When it [0:47] was built in 1980, it was made for an on [0:49] call department, which has now [0:51] transitioned to a combination of both [0:53] full-time and paid on call, providing [0:55] 247 service. It was also designed almost [0:58] exclusively for men. But today, women [1:01] make up 40% of the department, [1:04] and firefighters spend a third of their [1:06] lives here. It's their second home, yet [1:08] it provides few comforts. So, this is [1:10] our sleeping quarters. Uh we share it [1:13] with our training room. Um the [1:15] separation here is just provided by [1:19] office dividers. So this really does not [1:21] give our staff a real good place to come [1:25] and decompress if they need to. It's [1:28] also our training room which [1:30] significantly decreased when creating [1:32] these perimeter bedrooms. The kitchen is [1:34] small and outdated. There's no dining [1:36] room to eat. The living room shares a [1:39] space with workstations and the [1:41] bathrooms are outdated, especially for [1:43] women. [1:44] The facility does not adequately support [1:46] the wellness and decompression needs of [1:48] [music] our staff, which is crucial [1:50] given the lasting effects of their [1:52] life-saving work. [1:55] Many look to decompress by working out, [1:57] and most modern-day facilities provide [1:59] this amenity to ensure their [2:01] firefighters are in good mental health [2:03] and physical health. This is our workout [2:05] area. Um, in order to accomplish a space [2:07] like that for our staff, we had to um, [2:09] move one of our pieces of apparatus out [2:12] of our apparatus bay. That, uh, is [2:14] definitely not ideal. Most of our [2:17] training exercises take place offsite [2:19] because this building doesn't have the [2:20] space and many of our department [2:22] vehicles are stored throughout the city. [2:24] In a business where seconds mean the [2:26] difference between life and death, this [2:29] is highly [music] inefficient. Calls [2:31] have gone up 33% in the last 5 years and [2:34] about 80% are medical calls. This will [2:37] likely continue to increase given our [2:39] aging population. Adding to extra time, [2:42] firefighters sleeping in our training [2:44] room upstairs must take an indirect [2:46] route to get to our bay when responding [2:48] to calls [music] [2:49] rather than having a fire pole which [2:51] would directly lead to it. Our staff [2:53] gear up in the bay and there's very [2:55] little room to comfortably move. Given [2:57] the limited space, [music] it's also [2:59] difficult to store and maneuver [3:01] equipment and vehicles. [3:04] We also lack proper ventilation for our [3:06] truck emissions, which puts [music] our [3:08] staff at risk. Firefighters face a 14% [3:11] higher risk of dying from cancer than [3:13] the general population due to toxic [3:15] exposure. While responding to fires, [3:17] firefighters are exposed to chemicals [3:19] which can penetrate gear and absorb [3:21] through their skin. Our decontamination [3:23] process doesn't meet current standards. [3:26] This is our turnout gear washroom, uh, [3:28] which also doubles as our utility room. [3:31] As you can see, there's no real [3:32] separation here. People bring in their, [3:35] uh, dirty fire gear, take it out, put it [3:37] onto our gear dryer, all while other [3:40] people are bringing in their dirty gear. [3:42] This is our day-to-day uh, washer and [3:44] dryer. People wash their uniforms in [3:46] there, um, some dish towels, and there's [3:50] no real separation. This new building [3:52] will include a merge with city hall, [3:54] creating a centerpiece in the city for [3:56] community engagement, including a [3:58] community room for gatherings. There [4:00] will also be a combined lobby with one [4:02] receptionist, using staff resources more [4:05] efficiently. City Hall lacks meeting [4:07] space, storage space, and an adequate [4:09] number of bathrooms. The long-term [4:12] benefits for both the department and our [4:14] residents are worth the investment [4:16] because you really can't put a price on [4:17] the mental and physical well-being of [4:19] our firefighters, EMTs, and medics, or [4:22] the safety and health of our community. [4:24] The new facility will be designed to [4:26] minimize response times, provide [4:29] adequate training space, [4:32] and critically include separate zones [4:34] for decontamination. This investment is [4:36] about guaranteeing the continued high [4:38] level of service our growing community [4:40] needs and deserves [music] for the next [4:42] 50 years. We'd like to thank you for [4:44] your continued support of our [4:45] department.