Two contracts related to the construction of Phase 2 of the Washington Fire Department training center were approved Monday night.
City council members approved one ordinance authorizing a contract with SCI Engineering Inc. for soils and material testing services. The cost of those services is estimated at $7,504.10.
The second ordinance authorizes the mayor to enter into a contract with Wright Construction Services for the construction of a 7,880-square-foot building with partial basement, which will include a fire training classroom and apparatus bays.
Wright’s bid of $1,100,500 was the lowest of eight bids received for the project. All eight bids came in below the engineer’s estimate of $1,250,000.
The contract includes the base bid plus two alternates, one changing the wall finish in the restroom to an epoxy coating and to furnish and install 10 wall beds.
Phase I of the project, completed in 2007, involved construction of a “live burn” tower on M.L. Unnerstall Drive near Vossbrink Drive and Highway 100 in the Heidmann Industrial Park.
The training center building will be located to the west of the burn tower.
The training center, which will be primarily made of steel, will include a classroom that can fit up to 60 people. There will be projectors and other electronic media used for training. Additionally, there will be four wireless access points throughout the building.
There also will be areas to store disaster supplies. A furnace and air conditioner will be installed to keep the humidity down in the storage area. Instant water heaters also are included in the plan.
The building also will be used to store equipment and apparatus for the Franklin County Homeland Security Response Team.
Internet access in the building will allow firefighters to take advantage of webinars and webcasting for training which should decrease the department’s travel expenses for training.
The training center project is being financed with revenue from the half-cent capital improvement sales tax that voters renewed in 2010.
Originally, the second phase was scheduled to be done under the last sales tax program, but it was deferred so that revenue from the tax could go toward other pending projects.
Other bidders included:
Wachter Inc., $1,113,855; Lamb Construction Co., $1,141,300; Demien Construction Co., $1,159,200; Freise Construction Co., $1,162,430; Orf Construction, $1,169,800; Hankins Construction Co., $1,167,000; and Lewis & Associates Ltd., $1,179,502.
