19265 US HI 64

Haskell, OK 74436

­Since the terrorist incident of 9-11-2001 it has been evident that all emergency services throughout the United States needs to be updated and modernized to handle emergencies of all types. Wagoner county has really stepped up to the plate here.

The Wagoner County Commissioners had the opportunity to re-alocate an existing sales tax to the county Fire Departments. The re-alocation did not cause any increase in taxes to residence of the County. This tax is administered by the County.

An amazing thing is coming out of this. All of the Wagoner County Fire Departments have banded together in a Wagoner County Fire Association to assist one another. Each Fire Department is upgrading their equipment, training, and structures to house the Fire Departments. The capabilities of the Fire Departments in the county are increasing at a dramatic rate. There is beginning to be a reduction in insurance costs throughout the county by reductions in insurance costs in each area.

The County Commissioners actions in reallocating this tax to the Fire Departments in the County is having a direct benefit to the residences and businesses of Wagoner County. Residents are not only benefiting from reduced insurance rates but, an increase in safety for every resident and all of this seemingly for free.

The Stonebluff Fire Department has purchased quite a bit of equipment with these funds. We have purchased some new personnel bunker gear, radios, tools, chain saws, air blowers and slide-in-units to equip or re-equip 3 grass rigs. We have purchased one new 1500 gal. tanker with an excellent pump. We have engaged in a great deal of training over the 2007 period and are continuing training in the new year.

We have decided to allocate half of the new income to purchasing and upgrading fire fighting equipment and half to upgrading the fire house that contains the equipment.

• First, we were absolutely blessed with this building when we purchased it in 1985. It has served us well.
• With the number of trucks we have now, it is not well suited as a fire department. It has two doors we move up to 6 trucks through during an emergency. We have had one emergency where the first out truck stalled in the doorway and were not able to get any other vehicles out of the department until we cleared the doorway.
• Administration and training and repair space is limited
• The current building was first constructed in about 1968.
• The maximum height of an apparatus is limited to about 8.5 feet. There is no reasonable way to raise the door height to current pumper height requirements.
• Maintenance of the current structure is sometimes difficult due to it's age

There is another important reason for building a new fire station. We can build without it costing anyone in the community anything extra. It's a fact that if the sales tax funds were not allocated to the fire departments, it would have been allocated somewhere else. It would not be allowed to expire and reduce the county sales tax. We have the opportunity bring something to the Stonebluff area that can be used for the good of all for the next 50 years. Stonebluff will be entirely different in 50 years. This new building will be working for the residents for a long time.

UPDATE: On December 27, 2007, David Daniels began a presentation to the Wagoner County Commissioners regarding the plans for a new building. Two of the commissioners indicated that they were against our hiring an architect to design and manage the contractors during the construction.

There is a state requirement for any state, county or city building, with public access, that costs over $158,000 to be designed by an architech. The commissiers may be unaware of that. See this OSCN link­­

David tried to explain to them that no one in the Stonebluff Fire Department has experience in building design and construction. Commissioner Jim Hargrove offered his assistance and the assistance of the county building inspector.

The building committee will meet with Commissioner Hargrove on­ January 22nd to discuss this and the operations of the Fire Department further. More later...

UPDATE: 05/01/08 We have retained an architect and are in the process of finishing the design of the building. Construction may start this summer. The preliminary drawings look great.

UPDATE: 06/29/2008 The architectural drawings and specifications are complete and has been sent out for construction companies to bid on. Our architect, Larry McCool with McCool and Associates, has done a great job in designing our new building. The Wagoner County Commissioners will open the bids in a week and we will start selecting a contractor for our new building. Still, a major concern is: can we finish the building enough to secure the equipment from cold weather in time. Working with the Commissioners has put construction of the building this year at risk but we currently think we will make it easily.