Fire House

Dear Townshend Residents

The Townshend Fire Volunteer Fire Department is reaching out to you for your support as our town needs

a new fire station. The proposal to replace the existing firehouse is not new; this issue has been discussed

for many years. In 2005, a feasibility study was conducted to investigate

building a new facility at Taft’s Meadow on Route 30 that was purchased for municipal purposes.

In 2011 after tree damage to the current fire station, an effort was made to renovate the current facility, but

after further review, most of the same issues that plague us today (listed below) made it infeasible to

pursue a renovation of the facility in its current location.

The Townshend Fire House was built in 1952 and is nearing its 70th birthday. It was designed for the equipment of that time. It has served the town well over the years, but as the town has grown, so have the needs and equipment of the fire department. The department is in the process of purchasing a new fire engine to replace an existing apparatus, which is 32 years old. The goal is to replace these major pieces of equipment every 20 years to bring us into compliance with National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) standards. The Townshend Fire Department formed a truck committee in 2018 for a projected truck replacement in 2020.

While creating the specifications for this new apparatus, the truck committee found that we would be required to purchase a custom-built truck to fit into our existing station. The commercially available fire truck chassis is larger/taller than we can accommodate in our current facility. If required to go with a custom-built truck, the overall cost would be substantially more than that of a standard commercial fire truck. It was at that point that the department voted to establish a building committee to study the issues surrounding our current facility, identify the major concerns, and develop a plan to move forward.

• The committee has reported the following issues;

• No space for new apparatus/equipment without substantial additional costs

• No adequate septic system

• No potable water

• The fourth bay on the north end is on the neighbor’s property (with a deeded easement)

• The location of the station creates issues, making it difficult to maneuver the equipment

• Lack of parking during incidents and training due to sharing with Grace Cottage Hospital.

• Mutual Aid Departments, who cover Townshend when we are out on major incidents, can not fit into our station. During winter months this is extremely crucial due to risk of freezing the apparatus, possibly rendering it useless.

• The current equipment barely fits in the bays, and there have been near misses trying to maneuver equipment in and out of the building.

• Due to the size of the bays certain routine maintenance cannot be performed inside the building.

• There is no adequate ventilation (ie; exhaust fans) to clear build-up of potentially harmful emissions from starting the vehicles to move them outside.

• The building is not compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) regarding general access, restrooms, etc.

• No facilities for personal de-contamination

• The current building is outdated.

The next step is to have a feasibility study done with the hope it could be completed by late spring. With the help from some local anonymous donors the Townshend Fire Department has secured the funds necessary to have the study completed without the general taxpayers having to fund it.

The members of the department would like to hear any ideas from the townspeople on what you may like to see in regards to the style of and/or comments you may have on a new fire station. Also, if you have interest in possibly joining a building committee for the new fire house please send a response to either of the methods below.

Building Committee

Townshend Fire Department

PO Box 627 Townshend, VT 05353 or

email: info@townshendvtfire.org (updated 2025)

February 14, 2019

Thank You for your continued support,

Officers and Members of the Townshend Fire Department