Williamsport Bureau of Fire Tower 1 bucket is extended over the entrance to the Bureau of Fire Headquarters in Williamsport. The new tower truck gives the department a much more versatile truck that can act as a pumper, tower and carry more gear for the firefighters to use than the previous tower truck. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

Williamsport Bureau of Fire is upgrading its fire headquarters on Walnut Street using a variety of funding sources, including a state municipal fire capital grant and American Rescue Plan funds.

City Bureau of Fire Chief Sam Aungst offered several resolutions for consideration to the City Council, which approved them recently, including resolutions authorizing agreements between the bureau and:

• C&M Property Services for electrical installation to a 20 by 20 foot shed to be built to store equipment. Price not to exceed $1,850. The bureau is cleaning out its stock room with the intention of turning it into a training room. The shed will help protect the equipment. Everything in the stock room will be moved out to the shed. A dehumidifier will be installed so metal parts won’t rust. It was not something that could be done in-house and the timeline in which a lot of the grant work must be done. This was discussed with Scott Livermore, general manager, city public works department, who suggested it should be done by a third party, Aungst said.

• Pardee Enterprises Inc. — This is a renovation of the women’s restroom at fire headquarters. When the building was constructed in 1980, it was not prepared to receive female firefighters. The department has a firefighter who is a woman and a female administrative aide who both utilize the restroom. It is a very small room. The department endeavors to get as much out of the space as it can to include adding a wall-mounted locker for the female firefighter. The bathroom has not been touched as far as renovation or updates remodeling since 1980. It has the same shower, same toilet, sink and with the new female firefighter the department felt it was appropriate to make space for her. The work will include redoing the tile, tile floor, shower stall, toilet, sink and vanity and installing the locker. The price is not to exceed $19,142. “It’s surprising and exciting,” Councilwoman Liz Miele remarked. “I’m glad to see the women’s restroom getting a bit of an upgrade.” Council passed a motion to amend it and pay for this using American Rescue Plan funds.

• True Grade Excavating & Hauling — This is for the demolition of the old shed and installation of soil and stone base for the new shed. The shed will store a lot of equipment and True Grade will do excavating and laying of conduit for electricity for $2,791.75 and funded through the state municipal fire department capital grant.

• Trophy Sheds — This is the purchase and installation or setting of the shed not to exceed $16,540.

• John Savoy & Son, Inc. for installing men’s lockers, not to exceed $17,218.72.

Councilman Randy Allison noted for the long time the city did not do required repairs on the fire department facilities. “We are in catch up (mode),” he said. These are upgrades that, for the most part, are pretty small, but have a big impact on the ability of the fire department and firefighters to work as efficiently as they need to provide the services they do for the city. It is a great thing we are able to address so many issues.

Aungst noted this was a grant that was applied for last year and was not successful. He noted of the 200 departments that applied, there were only 11 that received the grant last year. This year, there were only six, he said, adding his appreciation and commendation to Valerie Fessler, city director of community and economic development and past grant writer/administrator, and Melanie Shutt, the current grant writer/administrator, for their work.

This effort by those employees allows department heads to be able to do their work for the city, rather than doing the final reporting and updates in order for the city to apply and receive the grants.