The Biddeford Central Fire Station on Alfred Street may not be the only fire station in Biddeford in the next few years, with additional funding approved for engineering and architectural plans of a new eastern fire station. Janet Briggs/Portland Press Herald
The Biddeford eastern fire and EMT substation continues to progress through the city council with the approval of an additional $158,000 for an architectural proposal and building component list, but the construction of the physical station is still far in the future.
The funds that were approved at the Aug. 1 city council meeting were already set aside in the 2023 city budget. The preliminary engineering and architectural plans are expected to be completed within two to three months, estimating an end-of-2023 report.
The council plans to include public approval for the station in the April 2024 referendum and subsequently get funding for the station and additional staffing in the 2024 city budget. If funding and general approval are achieved in 2024, the station would be under construction by the end of 2024 and potentially operational by 2026.
“It’s still in the early process of development, and it all depends on voter approval. We hope that the voters will trust the three groups that have put time and effort into it,” Assistant Biddeford Fire Chief Ed Dexter said.
The need for a fire station in the eastern part of the city has been discussed off and on for a number of years. The city council approved the creation of an ad-hoc committee to investigate the need for an additional station on Aug. 18, 2022. The committee met consistently for the remainder of the year before concluding its work with the findings of a Center for Public Safety Management report that argued the need for an additional fire station presented on March 22.
Using these findings, the committee presented to the city council on April 18 to propose the need for an additional fire station and potential locations.
The majority of Eastern Biddeford, an area including properties north of Guinea Road and between the Saco River and Kennebunkport line, saw emergency response times of over 12 minutes. With over 4,000 Biddeford residents or over 20% of the city population, University of New England housing and beaches in Eastern Biddeford, the report’s findings have been used to justify the need for an additional station in the area.
The committee initially also identified an approximate location for the station within a one-mile radius of the intersection of Pool Street and Newtown Road. UNE offered to donate a three-acre plot of land at 79 Newtown Road, but the committee in the initial proposal decided to maintain a generalized area awaiting further investigation.
A 24-hour station is planned, equipped with an ambulance and a fire response truck, requiring at least two personnel on site per shift, with three being ideal. This requirement would increase the fire department employment needs from 48 individuals to 52 which would require the gradual hiring and reallocation of city funds over the years before the substation opens. To help alleviate any staffing concerns, there is also a potential program with the UNE student body to help provide staffing.
More plans and discussions of the station among the city council are anticipated toward the end of this year or in early 2024, prior to fiscal year 2024-2025 budget approval and the planned April referendum.
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