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"The thing that you might want to notice, folks, is that we are $366,000 under budget," District treasurer George Gesslein pointed out at Tuesday's Lansing Fire Commissioners Meeting.  "We all did a great job this year."

Fire officials say that long term planning and fiscal conservatism accounts for their coming in under budget for 2008.  "It all has to do with the capital plan," says District Secretary Alvin Parker, referring to a fiscal plan that looks ahead 20 years into the future.  "We're keeping it up to date and on track with the help of the chiefs.  You look forward, see when you need to replace that ladder, that engines, additions, buildings, roofs -- everything.  It's on there."

That planning makes it easier for Chief Scott Purcell, because it allows him to plan for what's coming.  But Purcell says that just because the plan says a purchase will be made in a given year it doesn't mean that he won't evaluate whether it is necessary.

"At one point we were going to try to replace trucks every 20 years," he says.  "Right now we've got two trucks that are 20 years old still in service.  In a couple of years we're going to have two more, but there is no reason they shouldn't last another five or even ten.  We're buying good equipment and we're keeping up on maintenance, so I think we're saving the district money overall."

Parker says the kind of equipment they choose also makes a difference.  "When you inspect a truck you may have one that has aluminum bodies or something like that," he says.  "Maybe they're not working out so well.  So now we look at buying stainless steel.  It's more expensive but they may last 30 years.  So you're looking at all kinds of things, materials, manufacturers."

Gesslein says the money is already allocated for planned renovations to Central Station.  It becomes part of $2.3 million in the bank, most of which is reserves for buildings and new vehicle purchases. 


Because most of the volunteer fire department members respond via Central Station, fire commissioners hope to add updated bunk rooms including individual bunk rooms that could attract student bunkers, a bunker's kitchen area, an exercise room for all department members, more storage, another bay that could house another fire truck, a decon room, and a secure room for filling air bottles that are needed for emergency responses.

Commissioners hope that ground can be broken on the project, but before they bring it to a public referendum they are looking closely at the cost.  "We've got to see what numbers come back before we even decide to put it to the public," says Fire Commissioner Chairman Robert Wagner.  "If they're too high we're going to look again.  We're not going to make the public pay just because that's what it is -- there's got to be a cheaper way."

Wagner says that public hearings and informational sessions would be held before the project comes to a vote.  Gesslein says that the district plans the project to be presented to the public in the same way that two Lansing Central School District capital projects were.  "Like the school district the plan right now is that there will not be a tax increase," he says.

The school district projects both passed in a vote last December.  Commissioners feel confident voters will feel the same way about the Central Station Addition once they have an affordable project that they have already saved for.

"You just can't beat the plan," Parker says.

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