The third and final station in the network of new Emmet County EMS facilities received approval from the Emmet County Board of Commissioners Aug. 18.
During a special meeting, the Board voted 5 to 1 to proceed with plans for constructing the hub of EMS operations in Petoskey, on Eppler Road. Commissioner Shawn Wonnacott was absent from the meeting, and Commissioner Charlie MacInnis voted no.
The $3.2 million project will begin this fall. It will house ambulances, staff quarters, vehicle and equipment maintenance areas and will serve as a public safety location for the Sheriff’s department. The EMS billing and administrative operations will be consolidated at the location as well.
“From the start of Emmet County assuming EMS operations in January 2015, we have been committed to making sure that we are building a program that will endure for generations. It’s satisfying to see the last of the three buildings get the OK from the board and we’re looking forward to getting started on construction this fall,” said Emmet County Administrator Marty Krupa.
Larry Hansen, EMS Director, noted that the design of the stations has taken into consideration numerous facets of a successful EMS operation, including staff respite during 24-hour shifts, separate spaces for male and female EMS crews, maintenance areas for the upkeep of ambulances and equipment, and much-needed office space for writing and filing reports following EMS runs.
“On behalf of the EMS staff, I’d like to thank the Board of Commissioners and the county administration for having the foresight to build structures that will be a lasting legacy in our county. These stations will be here for generations, and they provide staff comfortable accommodations during the stress of handling repeated emergency response runs,” Hansen said.
Handling construction of the new facility will be Ironwood Construction, with Edgewater Design handling architectural design services. Both firms have worked together on the EMS Stations #2, on M-119 in Harbor Springs near Pleasantview Road; and #3, recently opened in June in Mackinaw City near the I-75 overpass on Central Avenue.
