By MIKE COURSON
Great Bend Post
The city of Chase is hardly big enough for two fire stations. Yet the town had two properties, both needing repair, to house equipment for its volunteer fire department. Monday, city and fire department staff broke ground on a new fire station to be located in the 400 block of Main Street in Chase. Jarett Mermis, a city council member and fire captain, said it's been a community effort to raise the $190,000 for the project.
"Between the fire department members and the city of Chase, we came up with a plan to fundraise and see what we could come up with to either renovate or build a brand new station," he said. "Between all our efforts, we raised the money to build a brand new station to house everything in one building."
Military trucks are parked in an old service station that serves as one part of the current department. Approximately $30,000 in electrical upgrades was needed at the newer building. In February 2022, the city and fire department began raising funds with no certainty of what might come in.
"We had a goal to fundraise for that entire year," Mermis said. "We had put it on our schedule as Dec. 31. If we didn't have the money raised by then, we would go back to the drawing table and see where we're at. It really came together. Everybody put a lot of effort into fundraising, and our community really came together and helped donate toward that."
JM Builders LLC has donated time and services for the work and submitted the bid to the city for construction. The new fire station will house all five department trucks and equipment, with a sixth bay open for any extra vehicles in the future. Construction is expected to be completed by June 1. The Chase Fire Department is 100 percent volunteer, with 18 current firefighters.