BOWMANSTOWN, Pa. — Leaky ceilings and cracked walls are the conditions the Bowmanstown Volunteer Fire Company firefighters have to deal with.
But thanks to $925,000 in state gaming money, a new fire station may be on the horizon.
"There's a need. We have painted this building three different times in the past 15 years. It keeps on bleeding out. It keeps on deteriorating. The HVAC system is antiquated and old. The electric is antiquated. again that side dates back to the 1940s," said Chief Michale Spairana, Bowmanstown Volunteer Fire Company.
A new space for the borough hall and emergency shelter is included in the current plans.
Spairana says it will cost about $2 million to knock down the firehouse and build a new one.
But for any of this to happen, the fire company still needs to receive two additional grants it applied for.
"The intent of this whole program is not to take any taxpayer's money directly and not to take out a bank loan because you just can't make and sell enough hamburgers and hot dogs and pizzas to pay that off," Spairana said.
The current firehouse only has two garage bays, but the chief said he's looking to increase that and add an additional two more to hopefully better suit the growing needs of the department.
"If there comes a brush fire, we need to get the brush (truck) out, but the qualified guys are at work to drive the engine," Spairana said, "We don't go because we can't get that out of here so we need a three-bay. We're looking at a four-bay garage."
If the Bowmanstown Volunteer Fire Company doesn't receive additional grant money, Spairana says it will draw up a new plan that only includes a new fire station.
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