Fire chief critical of new Electric City street plan

Fire Chief Mark Payne doesn't think Electric City should get rid of the Western Avenue branch of the Y-shaped intersection near city hall that currently branches into Western and Stevens Avenue.

Part of Electric City's projects to build sidewalks and improve streets in the city involve building a sidewalk that wraps around the front of city hall and would eliminate the Western branch of the "Y" incorporating that space into city hall's parking space in what is visualized as being a city center, with trees planted in the area.

Payne says that currently the fire station which is located southeast of city hall on Western Avenue, has a straight shot from it's parking garage down Western to SR-155, Coulee Boulevard, Electric City's main street.

Eliminating the stretch of Western in front of city hall will necessitate that a firetruck stops at the intersection of Western and Grand Avenues, turn right onto Grand, stop at the intersection of Grand and Stevens, then turn left to reach SR-155, adding stops, turns, and time to a fire truck's response time.

"All those trucks hall 1,000 gallons, plus equipment, and then to have to stop and start and turn them; it's wear and tear," Payne says.

He also noted that it isn't simply the added time it takes to leave the fire station that has a negative impact, but also the time it takes for firefighters to get to the station.

Responding to comments he said he'd received from city workers that he could simply use the fire trucks emergency lights to speed through the stops and turns, Payne said it isn't that simple. The issue is being in a residential neighborhood, with a church nearby, that adds risk.

"I won't allow our guys to run down Grand with our lights on down a residential," he said, adding that fire trucks still have to follow traffic laws such as stopping at stop signs.

A fire hydrant in that area would be used in case of a fire in the area of city hall, the Electric City Bar & Grill, a nearby church and more, and Payne says that the plans to change the street layout would complicate using the hydrant to put out a fire in that area.

Payne says people who may be backing out of the nearby Electric City Bar & Grill parking lot would have a better view of a fire truck coming down Western than from Stevens.

Payne said the city should have approached the fire station about the change to get their opinion on it before approving the plan in early 2018, something that went largely unnoticed, including by The Star.

"My gut feeling is that they would know we would be against this," Payne said. "My fellow workers, they were all surprised by this."

Electric City's next council meeting is set for April 9, at 6 p.m., at city hall. Payne intends to address the council on the topic, and wants to encourage others to voice their opinion, as well.

"I know some of my people I work with, if they were aware that they could come voice their opinions, they could be heard," Payne said. "Over the years of being a citizen, a resident here, I'm of the mindset that I'll be wasting my time, but it will feel good to go say something. With this already going to bid in April, I don't know that the fire station is enough (of a) concern to stop this."