The Onset Fire Station Building Committee has contracted with the Plymouth County Commissioners’ Office to assist in the procurement of a consultant to answer critical questions concerning what a new fire station would include compared to the current fifty-five year old station.

Plymouth County staff have developed a detailed Request for Qualification Proposal for a Fire Station Feasibility Study and the Building Committee will find an architect/designer for Onset. The work of completing the study by the architect/designer will take place during the winter. In April, the work product along with a site analysis matrix, conceptual plans, cost estimates, and development schedules will be delivered to the Building Committee.

The feasibility study will look at all key areas concerning the fire station. Potential sites will be analyzed. Traffic patterns and fire crew response times will be reviewed. High efficiency mechanical systems and value engineering will be used.

In May, voters at the Onset Fire District Annual Meeting approved $100,000 for a fire station feasibility study.

Building Committee meetings are held on the second and fourth Tuesdays of every month. These meetings are open to the public and held in the meeting room at the Onset Water Department Building, 15 Sand Pond Road, Onset.

Additionally, the Committee will schedule public informational meetings to update all residents and raise awareness of the process. All who wish to participate will be included in the development of the station.

Prior to the Annual Meeting in May 2017, residents will see the recommendations of the Building Committee and the Prudential Committee.

The residents will then be asked to support the next steps in the process by voting for design and construction costs for a new station at the current East Central Avenue location or a larger lot in Onset.

Building Committee Interim Chairman Frank Kowzic stated that “The plan is to have a new fire station in 2019. The Committee will lead the due diligence process to guarantee that Onset has the best combination of a cutting edge fire station that is delivered at a tremendous value to all residents.”

The Onset Fire Station Building Committee was created in July of 2015 to lead the Onset Fire District to a new fire station that would satisfy the needs of Onset residents for the next fifty years in a safe and professional manner.

For more information and updates, visit the website for Onset Fire Rescue at http://www.onsetfire.org/ or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/onsetfire.org/ or stay in touch on Twitter @onsetfire_PIO.

If you would like more information, a copy of the Request for Qualifications for Designer Services Related to a Fire Station Feasibility Study, or to schedule an interview with Chief Ray Goodwin or Interim Chairman Frank Kowzic, please reach out to them or contact Frank Basler at 781-718-9967 or fbasler@PlymouthCountyMA.gov.