Fire Hall celebrates 25th

For a quarter century, the Carrington Fire and Rescue has answered the call, time and time again, from the same six-bay headquarters.

The present Fire Hall, located just west of Carrington City Hall, was constructed in 1998, and just celebrated its 25th year of operation.

Locals established the Carrington Fire Department in 1891 to provide fire protection service to residents and businesses.

For many years, the Carrington Fire Department operated out of the armory, just across the street from city hall. Trucks were stacked from front to back in the two stalls. Trucks had to be parked in the bays in a particular order, so volunteers waited for certain trucks to return to the hall after a fire call before they could put them away.

In the mid-1990s, the volunteer members determined that they were out of room and overdue for an upgrade. Led by Chief Pete Kautzman, they set plans in motion to raise the funds necessary to construct a new home for their trucks, turnout gear and training.

"The firemen wanted to do this building to make sure it didn't cost the taxpayers anything," said volunteer and city councilman Neil Fandrich, who served as a trustee at the time of construction. "We did accomplish it, and that was a big feat."

The chosen site was a vacant Standard Oil warehouse that had been used for storage at times. It housed the fire department's water truck for a time. The new city hall, finished in 1997, stands where the ambulance bay used to.

Because the fire department was a public entity, they were required by law to engage an engineering firm in the design and construction. They retained the services of North Central Architects.

Volunteer firefighters saved money for several years, holding fundraisers and raffles. They also solicited donations from local businesses.

According to the building permit for the fire hall, which was approved and issued on August 2, 1997, the building was expected to cost $250,000. The building permit, according to fire department records, cost $1,250, or roughly $5 per thousand dollars of construction cost.

Meanwhile, new city offices were built on the same block. The new city hall was constructed on the spot where the ambulance bay once stood, just west of the former city hall. That project, led by Klocke Construction, was completed in 1997. In late fall officials moved into the new city hall before razing the former one.

They demolished the concrete block building on the site, and then waited for soil tests to come back to confirm that the soil was stable and sufficient for construction. As it had been the site of an oil warehouse, officials needed to be sure that there was no contamination.

As the framework was laid for the new fire hall, Kautzman decided to turn in his turnout gear after a decade as chief. His successor, Lonnie Suckut, was elected on Jan. 2, 1998.

In a February 9, 1998 article in the Independent, Kautzman was also credited with helping acquire two fire trucks, jaws of life apparatus, a new telephone system and a water truck during his 10 years as chief. He told readers he was looking forward to spending more time with his family.

General contractor, Kelly Hagel of Hagel Construction, worked on the exterior of the building over the winter of 1997-98.

Meanwhile, volunteers worked on the interior of the building throughout 1998. Everybody that was on the fire department at that time was involved, said Doug Smith, a 35-year member and 2nd Assistant Chief at the time of the construction.

An undated letter that was distributed late in the construction process provided a long list of donors and indicated that the project had cost $202,000 to date; $50,000 more was still needed to finish the project.

Yet, they persisted. And they got it done, with hundreds of volunteer man hours from firefighters and contractors alike. Firefighters installed insulation and hung sheetrock, while their wives painted the newly-built walls.

A November 30, 1998 article in the Independent highlighted that "finishing touches'' on the fire hall were underway. The fire department planned to hold its first monthly meeting in the new facility on Dec. 14.

Photos of the fire hall's dedication ceremony, held July 4, 1999, after the annual parade, show a full house. The firefighters' wives helped them serve the meal and entertain community members.

Now, 25 years after the sheetrock was hung and walls painted, the Carrington Fire Department once again opened its doors to the community this past week.

As this paper was going to press early Wednesday evening, a crowd had gathered at the 25-year old fire hall to celebrate the milestone anniversary.

Several members of the Carrington Fire Department were recognized for their years of service by the State of North Dakota this summer.

Member Chad Richter first became a volunteer the same year the hall was constructed, so he received a 25-year recognition. Chief Ken Wangen celebrates 30 years of volunteer service.

Neil Fandrich, Troy Roundy and Doug Smith, who were active members of the department throughout the planning and construction of the new fire hall, received recognition for 35 years of service. Clarence Wolff, the fire commissioner at the time, has volunteered for 45 years.

The late Howard Nelson, who passed away just a few weeks ago, received a 50-year recognition for his volunteerism.