Johnson Fire Department Update
by Ben Hogwood

While at one point Johnson firefighters were hoping to be in their new
building by now, construction of the project has been pushed back to
spring of 2005.
Johnson Town and Village Administrator Duncan Hastings said the goal to
be in the building by Labor Day became unrealistic as insurance
complications arose. Hastings still can- not release the cause of the
fire due to possible shared liability in the incident.
In addition, the village trustees asked the fire department to keep in
mind growth of the department over the next 25 years. Hastings said the
village and fire department have been working hard to design a building
that would meet long term need, be compatible with the Municipal
Building adjacent to the site, and be a source of pride for the
community. "The project has just taken longer than anyone thought," said
Hastings.
"It's frustrating for the fire department, but the board does not want
to go into a winter construction," he said.
While JFD will recoup 100 percent of the value of the previous building
and items destroyed from insurance, that money will not cover the full
cost of the desired building. "We will have an un-met need due to the
changes we want to make," said Hastings. The fire department is
interested in donations of time, material and labor, he said. So far,
the department has purchased over $500,000 of replacement equipment
through insurance and a Homeland Security Grant.
Firemen in the department were recently disappointed when the Federal
Emergency Management Agency denied them a grant for a new pumper truck.
Hastings said he and the department believed that, due to the
circumstances, they would be favored for the grant.
Upon further investigation, Hastings learned that the first phase the
application goes through is based on a numerical value, one which
Johnson fell below. The department has been working with the offices of
Vermont U.S. Senators Jim Jeffords and Patrick Leahy to have their
application reconsidered. After going through that first stage, the
application moves to a review panel made up of firemen before going on
to the FEMA chief. If they could get the application to the review
panel, said Hastings, "We would have them crying on the floor sending
personal donations."
The department will soon receive a brand new rescue vehicle and, other
than that, is getting along with leased and donated vehicles.