WEST BEND, Wis. — West Bend’s Common Council is considering a proposal for a new fire and rescue station as the department outgrows its current downtown location.
The proposed station would be built near highways 33 and 45, moving from the current downtown location that presents safety challenges for emergency vehicles.
“The guys remember smelling urinal water down here,” firefighter Graeme Harrison said. “They were looking around for where the smell was coming from, and they noticed dripping.”
It turned out the bathroom pipeline was leaking through the ceiling onto a fire engine in the garage. Patchwork is all that prevents urine from leaking onto their truck at Fire Station One in West Bend.
“Right above here happens to be the toilet,” he said. “So, it was toilet water that was dripping on our engine that day.”
During TMJ4’s tour of the building, Harrison showed how cramped their equipment is, how outdated their HVAC system is, and how their makeshift bedrooms are too small.
“We can’t all fit here anymore,” he said. “We don’t have much space here to sleep, but we have to add even more bunks here.”
Watch: West Bend considers new $25 million fire station to replace aging, cramped facility
One of the main issues is the station’s location on one of West Bend’s busiest streets, at the corner of W. Washington St. and N. Main St. Emergency vehicles must stop traffic and navigate through a busy intersection when responding to calls.
“It’s quite a safety problem and something we would hope to get away from,” Fire Chief Les Norin said. “It’s a critical need. A fire station is truly a critical part of infrastructure in the city. So, it’s exciting to be a part of designing something that will last 70 years into the future.”
Fire Chief Les Norin’s proposal is to move the station from downtown to a new spot near highways 33 and 45 where they can drive through rather than back out.
The project could increase community tax dollars. Builders said the average homeowner would pay $78 annually for it, for 21 years.
“The reality is we need to make the improvements or maintenance on our infrastructure,” Chief Norin said. “We’re starting to go up against the clock here.”
The total cost is predicted to be $24.7 million. If approved, construction would begin in September with a goal to finish by fall 2026.
“There is just no more room to live here anymore,” Harrison said. “So it’s time to move out and move on.”
He and the chief also said the building is not up to date when it comes to multi-gender bathrooms, changing rooms or showers. As they hope to hire more women, the two said the living quarters need a major upgrade, as they currently have to schedule changing and shower times so that everyone is comfortable.
City Council will vote on moving forward July 7.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
It’s about time to watch on your time. Stream local news and weather 24/7 by searching for “TMJ4” on your device.
Available for download on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and more.
