By Nick Buglione
Weather and permit applications did slow work, which began at the 346 East Meadow Ave. site in July, but overall construction is right on schedule, Beck said.
"We had to jump through hoops to get the permits, but we did it by the book," he said. "The wallpaper won't be up yet, but we will be operating out of it by May. We're all very excited."
According to Beck, the old firehouse at 197 East Meadow Ave., just blocks away, will still house ambulance trucks and remain open as an emergency response unit for the neighborhood.
Once completed, the new 9,250-square-foot station, which will be known as Station No. 1, will house three fire trucks, including a newly purchased hook-and-ladder truck, whose excessive height necessitated the construction of the new fire station.
"These trucks only have about an inch and three quarters of leeway when backing into the station," Beck said, pointing out that the trucks have scarred the archways of the old facility while squeezing into the tight space over the years.
"You can see how high these trucks are already, and the new one will be too high to fit," he said.
The department had a real dilemma on its hands. First, fire officials proposed digging out the bottom of the firehouse, to provide a little more breathing room.
"The engineers said we could dig the floor out, but because the building is almost 70 years old, it would probably crumble."
They even toyed with the idea of tearing down the old house and rebuilding it, but were turned off by the $10-million price tag.
"We talked to the library next to us about giving us some property, but they couldn't because they have parking problems," Beck said.
Finally, an opportunity presented itself when the old East Meadow Water Works building down the block went up for sale. The department jumped on it, purchasing the property.
A $4-million bond issue funded the construction as well as the purchase of the new hook-and-ladder truck. About $500,000 of the money is also going toward recently started work to bring the old firehouse up to the standards of the Americans with Disabilities Act, which requires installation of elevators and handicap-accessible bathrooms.
Citing parking concerns and apprehension over how the bond issue would impact taxes, the community that surrounds the 346 East Meadow Ave. site was initially not thrilled with the idea of the fire department opening a new house in their backyard.
Public opinion changed, however, after it was explained that a parking lot would be constructed on site and that the bond issue would only cost tax payers about 50 cents a day over the next 12 years.
"There were some concerns initially, but the community worked with the East Meadow Fire District so that the project could go forward," said Councilman Gary Hudes, who has followed the construction closely. "Both Supervisor Guardino and myself have always encouraged the improvement in the East Meadow Fire District that would also improve the safety of the residents. They deserve the best equipment and facilities."
Beck lauded the efforts of the Park East Construction Corp., the company overseeing the work, and all the contractors working on the project.
The new three-bay fire house will feature a special drive-through entrance and exit, so trucks can easily pull in and out without affecting traffic. "Traffic congestion on East Meadow Avenue will greatly improve," Beck said.
The new facility will also include office space, meeting rooms, a recreation room and a kitchen, an amenity the firemen are looking forward to since the old house lacks a cooking area.
"We had about 50 of guys come down and take a look at the new site about two weeks ago," Beck said. "I couldn't stop them; they're already talking about what they're going to cook."
With about 175 volunteers on staff, the East Meadow Fire Department responds to more than 2,000 calls a year.
