Moving day arrives for Beatrice Fire and Rescue Department members

BEATRICE – It was a trial run, of sorts…for the move into a brand new headquarters.

Beatrice Fire and Rescue trucks and ambulances converged on the new headquarters along South Sixth Street at midday Thursday….preparing for a Beatrice Rotary Club noon program.

Fire Chief Brian Daake says the transition from the current city auditorium department to the new quarters was to be accomplished by late Thursday.
"We've got the communications systems hooked up, the radios ...we've got to get those connected into the speaker system, itself. Right now, we're waiting to get some internet hooked up because all the patient care reporting is done on the web, of course nowadays....so we really can't pull the trigger until that's finished."

The new department has much more space for large fire trucks and ambulances….and gets rid of a traffic situation the department has faced on Ella Street for years that presented a bit of hazard.

"We're not going to be going up a one-way anymore, which is good. I like how we have that nice long driveway. The intent is when they respond to a call...kind of slowly pull out...turn the lights on, then take off to wherever they need to go. We do have good sight in both directions. That's a concern of mine and many citizens...it changes the dynamics of the flow pattern."

Chief Daake has been in his office in the new department since December 1st, traveling between the two locations to get things done. The move to the new quarters has been anxiously awaited by department members.  "Pretty much, outside of some personal items and there's some medical supplies we have to keep over at the current facility because it's secured, for now. But, we're pretty much ready to go."

Passage of an additional half-cent of local sales tax made it possible to finance bond issues for the more than eight-million-dollar station.