La Salle approves $40,137 resurfacing project for fire station

La Salle City Council approved a $40,137 resurfacing project for the fire department during Monday night’s City Council meeting.

La Salle Fire Chief Jerry Janick said there hasn’t been any major upkeep on the department since it was built in 1988.

“It’s showing it’s age,” he said. “The salt from the vehicles when they return to quarters and it drips off, that’s what pitting the concrete inside the fire station. If we don’t do anything to change that, we’re going to have to do the concrete inside the station, which is a major project.”

The fire department will have quartz flooring with two to three coats of an epoxy finish. Janick said the coats of epoxy will help ensure the floors last another 30 years.

“It’s a harder finish,” he said. “Firemen are rough on things. We have hoses and we clean them in the station and we have metal tools and drooping things is obviously going to happen ... so the wear and tear it just wouldn’t hold up as long without the epoxy.”

The project should begin in October.

The council also approved a $30,605 power load device for the Medic 421 ambulance. A power load device allows a patient to be loaded into the ambulance with only one fireman or paramedic. It also avoids the issue of firemen or paramedics having to pick up patients multiple times when they go on call.

“This will further prevent back injuries or any type of injuries, lift injuries to our personnel,” Janick said. “It’s also a benefit to the patient because when they are on the cot, we have the power load come up and lift and slide in the ambulance. There is no human involvement there. So there is no jerking or motion on the patient either.”

The power lift system is able to lift about 600 pounds.

Janick said the power load project is dependent on delivery that is expected to be at least four weeks. Once the lift is installed, La Salle will have two ambulances with the power lift system.

“We have two frontline ambulances, one is reserved,” he said. “I’d like to have both frontline ambulances have this power load on it.”

La Salle Mayor Jeff Grove said any time the council is able to provide additional funding to the police or fire departments it’s a plus.

“The fire and police combined probably makeup about 70% of our budget,” he said. “Which it should be ... this is a good thing and our goal is to take care of our residents and protection is our biggest thing. So, we’re very excited about it.”