New Coshocton EMS station has groundbreaking
COSHOCTON − A new headquarters for Coshocton County Emergency Medical Services is hoped to attract and retain workers while improving services for the community.
A groundbreaking was held Wednesday for the new building at the corner of Walnut and Seventh streets, once home to Central Elementary School. A new facility for the Coshocton County Coordinated Transportation Agency is also projected for the lot once the agency secures funding through the Ohio Department of Transportation.
Fencing has been erected on the property and work is slated to start this coming week. A sign will also be installed with an artist rendering of the building, description of the project and recognizing those involved.
In May, Classical Construction of Apple Creek was the lowest bidder of three for the project at $4.35 million. All the bids were under the estimate of $4.72 million. Tekton Engineering of Berlin is the project manager.
Commissioners received a $1.95 million Targets of Opportunity CARES Act Funding grant for the build in December from the Ohio Department of Development. Bonds will be used to pay the remainder of the cost.
The new station will be about 12,000 square feet. It will include a garage with five ambulance bays and space for equipment, training and living quarters. It should be completed by October 2023.
EMS Director Todd Shroyer said they've long needed a new headquarters as the station on Chestnut Street is too small to house personnel while on duty and for the parking of larger ambulances in garage bays. He also said they have no room for storage with the COVID-19 pandemic and supply chain issues showing the need of stockpiling critical supplies.
"With the COVID-19 pandemic we learned the importance of separation and you can't have any separation when you have five or six people jammed into a 15 by 15 (foot) area," Shroyer said. "The new station is going to give us space for crews to train and have some space to do actual physical activity, workouts. One thing we're learning in fire and EMS is that a lot of on duty deaths are from heart disease, so we need to get healthier and this will give us space to do that."
Additionally, Shroyer said crews spend about a third of their lives at work and they deserve a decent environment to work in. Having a nice, new modern building can also be an incentive for employees as Coshocton can't pay the salaries that other large municipalities can. Each crew member will have a small bunk area with a bed, table and locker.
"It's huge for morale of the crews to finally have a decent building," Shroyer said. "We're learning now it's more than just the money when it comes to the workforce. They're wanting to feel appreciated, they're wanting to have their own space and this will finally give us the ability to do that."
EMS has been looking for a new a new headquarters for several years. Commissioners purchased the old Tribune building for the agency in 2017, but issues led to it being sold. It's now home to the Thompson Business Center. What will become of the old EMS building is yet to be determined, but commissioners previously said the property could be sold to a private owner.
Leonard Hayhurst is a community content coordinator and general news reporter for the Coshocton Tribune with close to 15 years of local journalism experience and multiple awards from the Ohio Associated Press. He can be reached at 740-295-3417 or llhayhur@coshoctontribune.com. Follow him on Twitter at @llhayhurst.
This article originally appeared on Coshocton Tribune: New Coshocton EMS station has groundbreaking
