Westport
gets a new south end fire station.
EverythingWestport.com
Tuesday, August 04, 2009
Sunshine provides welcome relief for soggy project. - Tuesday, August 04, 2009
Wet conditions continue to hinder work. – July 29, 2009
The walls are going up. – June 30, 2009
Fire station on a
firm footing! - June 22, 2009
Westport’s new “firebarn”
is underway! - May 30, 2009
Ceremonial shovels hit
the dirt as Fire Station 1 gets underway! - May 5, 2009
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It’s a go! EverythingWestport.com Tuesday, August 04, 2009 After a lengthy period of failed ballot questions and voter frustration over high costs, the new south end fire station is finally underway, full steam ahead. The results-oriented site superintendent is leaving no stone unturned in getting this project done on-time and on-budget. “It’s my life’s work,” Gary Bessette said. “It’s what I do.” EverythingWestport.com will follow the work from start to finish. See photos and get all the news first, here, on-line. Follow our blog weekly! Click here to read article and view photos of groundbreaking ceremony. Click here to view photos of site clearing. Click here to view all high-resolution photos of on-going site work. Click here to view high-resolution photos from Chief
Legendre’s fire station informational meeting held June 4, 2008. Click here to get an early history of the Westport Fire
Department. View
the high resolution photos of on-going fire station construction 56 photos | Dial-up speed |
Broadband/DSL
speed | Sunshine provides welcome relief for soggy project. EverythingWestport.com Tuesday, August 04, 2009
With the water level receding through
pumping and dryer air, the damp-proofing and water-proofing of the
foundations and elevator pit are almost finished (photo below, center). “The
concrete had to be dry prior to damp-proofing,” Bessette said. Damp- and water-proofing are not
complicated processes but they have to be thorough ones. As planned, extra
water-proofing was necessary. “The elevator pit had to be waterproofed, and
that required a rubber gasket between the footing and foundation, and a rubber
membrane wrapped around the outside foundation (photo below, right),” Peter Koczera
said. Left: Patrick of MRL Construction digs a pump drain-hole with a
mini-backhoe while its big brother is in the background grade-leveling
construction-quality fill in the ground-level apparatus bay. The outside foundation walls are
covered with rigid,
foam insulation board to prevent the stone and gravel backfill from
puncturing and scrapping the damp-proof material off of the foundation
surface. “The masons should start laying their
8” block on the outside west wall this week,” Bessette said. “Then residents
passing by will see some real progress.” The gravel and construction quality
materials’ base is being spread and compacted (photo below, left) as this
article is being written, and you should expect to see floors being poured in
the immediate future. The radio tower concrete pad has been
poured.
Wet conditions continue to hinder work at the new South End
Fire Station. EverythingWestport.com Wednesday, July
22, 2009
“These rains have created an
unusually high water table,” Koczera. “We have two, 2-inch pumps going day
and night. 99% of our concrete footings and foundation walls have been
poured, but the new walls have to be stripped and dried out so we can
damp-proof them.” Koczera, Westport’s owner’s project representative,
is responsible for overseeing construction of the new south end fire station,
ensuring that all work, materials, and erection techniques comply with the
architect’s plans. Not an easy task when you throw rain into the mix. “Progress has been good,” said site
supervisor Gary Bessette. “We’d like to do better. Right now we can’t do
compactions because the soil is too wet. However, we do track the weather
pretty closely, online, and we’re always ready to proceed when it breaks.” The Barr Construction supervisor
remains confident the project will be completed on time. “We’re about three
weeks behind,” Bessette said, “but we’re still shooting for a July, 2010
occupancy date. We have a revised plan to make up the time.” Koczera, in between giving us a tour
of the site, explained that the new radio tower’s main strength is to
penetrate buildings, particularly metal ones, and in doing so better
communicate with the firefighters’ lapel-based radio systems. “The range is
obviously important when we talk about the new 100’ tower,” Koczera said.
“But communicating with firefighters while in burning buildings is vital.” Out-of-sight is not necessarily out-of-mind! Koczera made the observation that 75%
of the fire station construction is really in-ground, and it’s not only the
footings and foundation. “We have several large underground water systems:
33,000 gallon water storage for fire control and tanker truck use; a
tight-tank, waste-water collection cistern for the apparatus bays (collects
hazardous spills and cleaning fluids); service drainage system for water
run-off leading to an on-site retention pond; and septic system and town
well. And extra waterproofing is necessary
because of the high water table. “The elevator pit has to be waterproofed,
and that requires a rubber gasket between the footing and foundation, and a
rubber membrane wrapped around the foundation,” Koczera said. “We also put an
additive into the concrete to resist water seepage.”
From the left: (1) Comely Jen of MRI Enterprises lends a guiding hand to a massive shovel
while moving an idled soil compactor; (2) foundation forms ready to be
stripped; and (3) drainage system will handle surface run-off into an on-site
retention pond. The
damp-proofing of the concrete walls prevents long-term exterior surface
damage due to water erosion. Environmental factors are a principal source of
concrete deterioration. Concrete absorbs moisture readily, and this is
particularly troublesome in regions of recurrent freeze-thaw cycles. Freezing
water produces expansive pressure in the cement paste or in nondurable
aggregates. According the old house website, “carbon
dioxide, another atmospheric component, can cause concrete to deteriorate by
reacting with the cement paste at the surface”. “We can’t
damp-proof the walls until they’re dry,” Koczera was quick to point out. “Our
electrical and gas systems are underground,” Koczera said, “and the water
vault for the station’s fire protection system is an astounding 55’ long, 14’
wide, and 9’ deep.” The new CVS building up on Route 6
seemed to spring up overnight once started, but commercial building
requirements are far different than state-funded public facilities. “Our
elevator is required because we are a multi-level public building. Inspection
and construction oversight is far more complex as we follow stricter
architectural codes,” Koczera said. Be that as it may, passing motorists
seem to notice little progress. “A lot of our project is in ground,” Koczera
said, “and that’s where the heavy rains have hurt us most. We have
accelerated our planning, and we hope to make up the lost time. Once
in-ground construction is completed, the building will go right up. Community
residents will get a sense of real accomplishment.” Going green. What’s next? “The committee is
already discussing green or eco-friendly elements: wind turbine, energy
efficient building components (insulation, low E glass, etc.) and
implementing energy codes that hopefully will produce some energy savings
reimbursement from NStar. The town wants an energy-efficient building.” We looked up at the 80’ trees around
the building site. “It’ll have to be a high one (wind turbine,)” Koczera
said. The walls go up. Work continues. EverythingWestport.com Tuesday,
June 30, 2009
Left: a Turner Brothers'
foreman attaches the electrical conduit pass-throughs in the wall’s rebar
before the forms go up. Right: Workers put up form partitions previously
coated with a lubricant to provide a smooth, non-stick surface for the poured
concrete. The rainy weather in the past week kept the job site closed down
several days reports site super Gary Bessette. The sumps are keeping up with the
influx of ground water, and the only real issue is not being able to pour
concrete under wet conditions. Hope is high as good weather is on the way!
Bob of Griffin Electric (lower right) is precutting the service conduits for
installation in the walls prior to pouring.
EverythingWestport.com Monday, June
22, 2009 Crews work
the “the stick” to pour the footings and foundations before more heavy rains
sets in (picture left). However, real progress is being made despite
the weather says site super Gary Bessette and Fire Chief Legendre. “Despite
the constant rain we’re making some headway in the footings and foundations,”
says site super Gary Bessette. The fire chief agreed. “We’ve had a real wet
spring. The temporary sumps are doing a good job in draining the excavation.” Turner Brothers Concrete LLC had their hands full setting the footing and foundation forms, and tying the rebar in preparation for the pouring of the concrete. Over the last two weeks, the crew dodged rain drops while pouring the concrete. A Turner Brothers’ employee worked the transit and kept footings on an even level as the 110’ “stick” extended out over the construction site and allowed crews to direct the pumped concrete into the forms, topping them off at the correct elevation..
From the left: (1) Octavio and Daniel of
Turner Brothers tie off the rebar; (2) Patrick directs the 110’ “stick” with
a “gameboy-like” wireless remote control unit; and (3) Turner Brothers’
workers fill the forms with pumped concrete, making the job fast and easy. Westport’s
“new firebarn” is underway! EverythingWestport.com Saturday, May 30, 2009
After a lengthy period of failed ballot questions and voter frustration over high costs, the new south end fire station is underway, full steam ahead. The results-oriented site superintendent is leaving no stone unturned in getting this project done on-time and on-budget. “It’s my life’s work,” Bessette said. “It’s what I do.” Telephone and electric are hooked up, land elevations are realized, and the setup and pouring of concrete will commence within a matter of days. Click here to read article and view photos of groundbreaking ceremony. Click here to view photos of site clearing. Click here to view all photos of on-going site work.
At ease,
men! Heavy equipment in full field dress getting a weekend leave.
EverythingWestport.com Tuesday, May 5, 2009 Photos
© 2008, 2009 EverythingWestport.com Fire department personnel and town officials broke
ground for Westport’s new south end fire station on Tuesday at 1:20 p.m. For
some it was none too soon. “Before the first fire house in 1928, Westporters used the bucket brigade’” Calvin “Hoppy” Hopkinson said in an interview last year. “But then a group of Westport volunteer firefighters started an association (Westport Volunteer Fire Association, Ken Nickleson – current president) and put up a fire station in Central Village on a lot
that old Charlie Wood leased to the town for as long as the land was used for
fire prevention purposes,” Cal said. That purpose is coming to end
as the Town of Westport broke ground for a new Fire Station for a projected
cost not to exceed $7 million dollars. In contrast, the 1928 Central Village fire
station built by volunteer firefighters, and later expanded in 1978 with the
help of Diman Regional Vocational students, came from privately raised
capital and donations, and at no cost to the town. Above
photo, from the left: former selectwoman and committee member Veronica
“Ronnie” Beaulieu, committee member John “Jack” De Veuve, Fire Chief Brian
Legendre, current selectmen and committee members Steve Ouellette and Paul
Schmid, former selectwoman and committee chairwoman Liz Collins, Deputy Fire
Chief Allen “Sam” Manley, and committee member Warren Messier.
From
the left: (1) Liz Collins shares a quiet laugh with Fire Chief Brian
Legendre; (2) (3) Deputy Fire Chief
Allen Manley (right) shares a moment with his grandfather, Charlie Keith, who
was a Westport fireman in the early 1940’s with Cukie Macomber and Calvin
Hopkinson - selectman Paul Schmid looks on; and (4) an emotional Fire Chief
Brian Legendre thanks the many individuals responsible for making the south
end fire station a reality. Click here to view more photos of the groundbreaking ceremony. So you can see why the path to get here was not
always easy. It was a long, hard road, and
the Fire Department had been turned back many times. Contentious from the
start, the proposed town safety complex was viewed as too expensive and not
necessary. The reality of the situation was 13.5 million dollars was a lot of
money for a town of thrifty farmers used to “making do”.
According to Chief Legendre, who is also head of the building
committee, the new station house “will bring together the department’s
administrative staff, the fire chief and his administrative assistant, the
deputy chief and fire prevention officer.” The spacious basement will contain
a training room that will double as a 24-hour emergency operations center.
Click here to view high-definition versions of the above
photos and other photos from Chief Legendre’s fire station informational
meeting held June 4, 2008. Click here to get an early history of the Westport Fire
Department.
John Brightman (pictured left) and his crew from
Brightman Lumber in Assonet schooled our community in lumber jacking as three
men in three days cleared the site and trucked out the lumber without ever
touching a chainsaw. Men and their logging machines. Wood chips, dirt, smoke and leaves flew as Brightman’s John
Deere 843J wheeled feller buncher (pictured below) applied
a death grip to the trees and ripsawed through them as if they were toothpicks.
John’s son Eddie, better known as a woodsman competitor in
New England, neatly handled the cutting, stripping and stacking chores as if
he were playing “pick-up sticks.” “If my father and grandfather had this equipment,” John Brightman
quipped, “there wouldn’t be a tree left in New England!” Click here to view more photos of the site clearing.
The Fire Station Building Committee awarded a
$4,350,750 construction contract to BARR General Contractors in April of this
year. The project manager is Architectural Consulting Group of New Bedford.
According to Fire Chief Legendre the town’s contract with BARR is fixed, and
any sub contractor’s bid that may change will be “eaten” by BARR. “They will
assume the liability,” he said. “However,” the Chief added, “I believe the
project will come in under cost.”
Left: Fire Chief Brian Legendre receives the word
and congratulations from Town Clerk Marlene Samson as the precinct tallies
from the special ballot question conducted June 17, 2008 show that the votes cast were more than 2 to1 in favor of a new south end fire
station. “I’m surprised by the margin,” Chief Legendre said. “I’m really
pleased the community supported the fire department.” Right: Chief Legendre pitches for the new
fire station at one of many informational meetings held in town prior to the
special ballot question. -
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