Battle Creek city leaders propose modernizing fire stations

BATTLE CREEK, Mich. (WOOD) — City leaders in Battle Creek met Tuesday night at a workshop to discuss plans for upgrades and modernization for their department.

At the fire stations proposal workshop, City Manager Rebecca Fleury, other fire officials and architects broke down station costs for residents and showed renderings for their proposal. People were able to offer feedback about what they want from the fire department.

City leaders said they conducted a variety of studies to figure out the best way to spend their money and move forward. Some of the key themes from the study were staffing, response times, modern quarters and locations.

“It’s really an investment into bettering our fire department and into the firefighters. They long deserved better facilities,” Fleury told News 8.

The proposal would reduce the number of stations from 6 to 5. In that proposal, Station 3 would combine with Station 1 and an entirely new station No. 2 would be built. All the remaining stations would receive upgrades, additions, and renovations.

Fleury said stations 2 and 3 are over 100 years old and cannot withstand the needs of the department.

“None of the stations were designed to deal with the hazardous materials that they do now with fires. How they separate the gear, from the apparatus, to where they live,” she said.

But the proposal comes with the hefty price tag of nearly $30 million.

“We do not have the money on hand, I wish we did to pay cash for all of this. So the other tool that we have is to sell a bond, a capital improvement bond and that is what we are asking the commission to consider,” Fleury said. She added that taxes will not increase for residents.

Its a change Fleury said is needed to continue growing Battle Creek’s stations as well as modernizing to withstand the needs of the community.

“It’s a lot, I know. It’s a big price tag but when you think of the importance of both the mental and physical safety of the firefighters, that’s something we don’t really like to put a price tag on but we that’s something we have got to do,” she said.

City leaders hope to have to first request a notice of intent resolution at the next commission meeting on Oct. 1. From there, Fleury said three more approvals must go through before they can hopefully start construction on these stations by late 2025.

Fleury said construction is estimated to take two to three years.

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