‘This is going to be great’: Bernardston town officials take tour of future Fire Station

Bernardston Fire Chief Peter Shedd and Selectboard Chair Ken Bordewieck share a laugh while looking around the new Bernardston Fire Station being renovated at 167 Northfield Road. There was a walk-through of the building with the Selectboard and the Fire Station Building Committee on Wednesday evening.

Bernardston Fire Chief Peter Shedd and Selectboard Chair Ken Bordewieck share a laugh while looking around the new Bernardston Fire Station being renovated at 167 Northfield Road. There was a walk-through of the building with the Selectboard and the Fire Station Building Committee on Wednesday evening. STAFF PHOTO/DOMENIC POLI

The new Bernardston Fire Station is being renovated at 167 Northfield Road, the former home of Raymond’s Repair.

The new Bernardston Fire Station is being renovated at 167 Northfield Road, the former home of Raymond’s Repair. STAFF PHOTO/DOMENIC POLI

The new Bernardston Fire Station is being renovated at 167 Northfield Road, the former home of Raymond’s Repair.

The new Bernardston Fire Station is being renovated at 167 Northfield Road, the former home of Raymond’s Repair. STAFF PHOTO/DOMENIC POLI

The new Bernardston Fire Station is being renovated at 167 Northfield Road, the former home of Raymond’s Repair.

The new Bernardston Fire Station is being renovated at 167 Northfield Road, the former home of Raymond’s Repair. STAFF PHOTO/DOMENIC POLI

The new Bernardston Fire Station is being renovated at 167 Northfield Road, the former home of Raymond’s Repair.

The new Bernardston Fire Station is being renovated at 167 Northfield Road, the former home of Raymond’s Repair. STAFF PHOTO/DOMENIC POLI

The new Bernardston Fire Station is being renovated at 167 Northfield Road, the former home of Raymond’s Repair.

The new Bernardston Fire Station is being renovated at 167 Northfield Road, the former home of Raymond’s Repair. STAFF PHOTO/DOMENIC POLI

By DOMENIC POLI

Staff Writer

Published: 01-16-2025 5:14 PM

BERNARDSTON — The fire chief gave Selectboard and Fire Station Building Committee members a tour of the future station at 167 Northfield Road on Wednesday evening, saying he expects the department will be operating out of the facility by April.

Peter Shedd told the 10 people present that the project is moving along smoothly. He mentioned the structure’s siding has been ordered and will be installed in “more accommodating weather.”

Shedd and Town Administrator Karen Kelly explained that, pending approval from the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) and the Selectboard, the Emergency Operations Center phone will be moved from the Police Station at 256 South St. to the new firehouse. Shedd mentioned the town’s Emergency Management Department has received an Emergency Management Performance Grant, state money that assists emergency management departments with preparing for all hazards. Shedd said the funds will be used to purchase smart TVs to aid dispatchers.

The fire chief said the only issue so far has been acquiring a three-phase generator, though he expects the problem will be resolved soon. Following the walk-through, the joint meeting of the Selectboard and the Fire Station Building Committee was adjourned at 6:29 p.m., and on Thursday, the facility passed an electrical inspection conducted by the Franklin Regional Council of Governments (FRCOG).

It is unknown at this time what will happen to the current station on Church Street. Jane Dutcher, who chairs the town’s Finance Committee, said she would love to see the town’s 1853 Rumsey horse-drawn hand pumper on display behind unbreakable glass at the station for people to admire. The apparatus is currently kept in the building behind Town Hall, Shedd explained, though that structure will be torn down.

Shedd told the Greenfield Recorder his firefighters are “antsy” to move into the new station and Selectboard Chair Ken Bordewieck said he is excited about the facility.

“This is going to be great,” said Bordewieck, adding that the current station is “just way too small for reality — can’t fit the trucks, can’t hold meetings.”

At this time, some vehicles in the department’s seven-vehicle fleet that don’t fit at the existing facility are kept at Valley Concrete & Construction. The current station also lacks storage and training space.

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The 24.15-acre property at 167 Northfield Road was previously the home of Raymond’s Repair, which has moved to South Parrish Road in Winchester, New Hampshire. Bordewieck said the owner does a tremendous amount of municipal and private work, and brought all his clients with him to the new location.

The plan had once been to build an addition onto the current Fire Station at 18 Church St., but the renovation and expansion of that building was estimated to cost $4.58 million. Pursuing a more affordable option, the majority of the 82 residents who attended a July 2023 Special Town Meeting approved the purchase of the former Raymond’s Repair shop — including a 6,320-square-foot building — for $1.6 million through payments of $130,000 over 10 years. A $300,000 down payment was allocated to pay for repairs. Another $1 million was secured by U.S. Rep. Jim McGovern in March 2024.

Reach Domenic Poli at: dpoli@recorder.com or 413-930-4120.