OXBOW, New York (WWNY) – After a holdup in getting money promised from the state, work is well underway on the Oxbow Fire Department’s new fire station.
“Our last department was very very small. Now we have a lot more room for our firemen. It’s safer for our firemen to move around inside the station,” said Assistant Fire Chief Anne Potter.
Work began in 2020, with construction being primarily done by firefighters themselves.
The project had a brief holdup when the state stalled the delivery of about half of the $100,000 grant.
Now the funding has been figured out, and the building’s exterior is pretty much done. Potter thanks those firefighters.
“To do what they’ve done. I mean, it’s amazing. Here we came from an old cheese plant to having such a beautiful building,” she said.
First, the department has to prove it paid for the raw materials of a given project. Then it gets money from the state.
So, members have turned to the community for help through fundraisers like auctions and their chicken barbecue.
“If it wasn’t for those guys, we wouldn’t be where we’re at and we’re proud to serve our community,” said Potter.
The next planned addition to the fire station’s interior is a loft. When it’s done, it’ll serve as a general relaxation area for both Oxbow firefighters and mutual aid.
“In about three weeks this loft will be completely done and then we can move into the inside,” said Potter.
Inside, some of the grant is going towards a full-on reconstruction of the kitchen. That means the department will be able to bring back its iconic bullhead feed fish fry
“People have asked for it back. We’re working on it, people. We just got to get our kitchen done,” said Potter.
Potter plans to have the kitchen done by the end of the year. Then they’ll move on to work on the back of the building.
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