Maxwell Fire Department receives facelift Published Sept. 3, 2010 By Carl Bergquist Air University Public Affairs MAXWELL AIR FORCE BASE, Ala. -- Tuesday, members of the Maxwell Fire Department began moving back into their newly renovated fire station after almost five months of living and working out of temporary trailers and a hangar next to Maxwell Base Operations. The fire station was opened in 1990, and except for self-help work done by firefighters, the renovation was the first significant upgrade. Major changes to the station included consolidating four heating, ventilation and air conditioning units into one larger unit that can service the entire building and extending the parking stalls toward the taxiway on the backside of the building to better accommodate the trucks and engines. Other more minor changes were also made to the building. Maxwell Fire Chief Lee Anderson said the project went very well, and he gave credit for that to the "exceptional contractors" who did the work. "We were very fortunate in having good contractors who understood our situation, and we got what we needed from them. For example, throughout the renovation, the alarm room had to remain in operation at the fire station, and contractors made life as good as possible for the four-person crew that works in that area," he said. "I don't think there was a single day we didn't have communications between the alarm room and the temporary facility, and that was essential." Brenda Allard, alarm room supervisor, echoed the chief's sentiments, saying contractors did everything in their power to make life easier on her crew. "They cleaned up after themselves every day and made sure nothing was left out to trip over," she said. "They had to shut down the power once for about an hour, but portable generators kept us up and running and kept portable AC units on." Chief Anderson said one of the biggest challenges of the renovation was getting fire department personnel and equipment moved into the temporary facility at the hangar. "You can't move a fire department in pieces; it has to be moved all together. But the move went smoothly, and everything was in place in about a day," he said. "Most firefighters spend more time at the station then they do at home, so it is important to have safe and comfortable surroundings. You have to have places for the firefighters and other department members to eat and sleep." Chief Anderson said the move back should be completed by today, but as with any move, it will take a couple of weeks for everything to fall into place. He said a priority was to make sure everyone gets settled in and is comfortable in the working space. "We are all ready to get back into the fire station because we all want to get back into our kitchen," he joked. Rob Wimes, Maxwell's lead firefighter, said firefighters were "definitely ready" to move back. "The trailers weren't that bad and made for a nice temporary facility, but it will be good to get back into our fire station," he said. "I think the biggest improvement will be the better HVAC system in the building." Deputy Fire Chief Charles Jorgensen said he wanted to thank everyone who was involved in the renovation for a job well done. "We want and need a healthy and comfortable work space for our personnel, and the contractors seem to have provided that for us. In this weather, the HVAC alone is very important, and the new unit should greatly improve the station's environment," he said.