With the help of a federal grant, the town of Hancock is hoping to have a new fire station built this year.
The proposed 6,500 square-foot building on Cemetery Road, near the local town office and elementary school, will replace a two-bay garage on the other side of the road that was built in 1957. Unlike the existing building, the new one will have ample indoor space for the department’s vehicles and equipment. It also will have plumbing, administrative offices, space for meetings and trainings, storage, locker rooms and bathrooms.
The current fire station building is so small, the department has had to keep its forestry truck, squad car and rescue boat stored outdoors, said Christopher Holmes, the town’s fire chief. The building will be given back to the previous owner after the new station is built, which was a requirement spelled out in a written agreement when the town acquired the garage years ago, Holmes said.
“Our volunteer fire crew will be able to work much more efficiently,” the fire chief said. “The new station will accommodate modern equipment and provide the space the crew needs to get their work done. And when emergency responders can work quickly using modern equipment, that makes for a safer community for everyone.”
The town has been considering plans for a significant fire station upgrade since 2008, Holmes said. An initial proposal a few years back was rejected, but since then the department has raised several hundred thousand dollars to put toward a new building. A USDA Rural Development grant that the town applied for and received last year is expected to fund roughly 75 percent of the construction costs, Holmes said.
Holmes said the town has grown a little over the years, but the driving need for the upgrade is more about having a modern building that meets current standards than it is about local development or population growth. The town’s population grew from 2,394 residents in 2010 to 2,466 residents in 2020, according to U.S. Census data
The department will continue to use another small garage located further west on Route 1, near the Ellsworth city line, to prevent increases in local fire insurance premiums due to inadequate coverage, he said.
“This is an exciting step forward for our community,” said Jack Bridges, chair of the town’s Board of Selectmen. “We’re incredibly proud of our fire department, and we’re especially grateful to Fire Chief Holmes for his outstanding work in securing the grant.”
Holmes said that ground work has been done and, once the concrete slab is poured, it shouldn’t take long to build the new station. He said the town is hoping to have it finished by Christmas this year.
“It is going to be a huge morale booster for our emergency responders to finally have a functional space,” the fire chief said. “We hope it may even help us recruit some new volunteers.”
