Central Fire Station Feasibility Study Presented to Sedalia Council

Sedalia City Council members heard the results of a feasibility study done on the City's aging Central Fire Station on Hancock.

Joshua N. Mandell, principal with FGM Architects, St. Louis, and Jerrod Joggerst, associate, spoke to Council about their findings during a three-hour Council meeting on Tuesday night.

Mandell spoke with KSIS and gave us a summary:

“In review of the existing facility, there are some upgrades and renovations the department could consider. But the larger picture is that in the context of ISO (Insurance Services Office) which is essentially a third-party agency that provides a grading of a fire department so that insurance companies know what to charge, both residential and commercial users, for insurance, the City is not fully compliant with with the best scoring opportunities that ISO suggests. Therefore, over time, as the City grows, it leaves more areas further apart from the fire department facilities, and it leads to a lower score, which leads to higher insurance rates,” Mandell said.

Joggerst complimented the SFD for its Class 3 rating. “You guys are in a very good spot with a three,” he said. In Missouri, there are only six departments with a higher rating. The City's Fire Suppression Rating Schedule (FSRS) is a 72.34 out of a possible 105.5.

Three recommendations resulted from the study.

One was to do nothing and “stabilize the existing Central Fire Station at an average cost of $400,498, as a five-year plan.

The second was to renovate the existing CFS and build one new satellite facility at an average cost of $3.1 million as a 25-year plan.

The third was to build two new facilities at an average cost of $6.1 million as a 50-year plan.

Mandell noted the calculations were based on 2021 dollars.

Jessica Craig, who was present at the meeting for her own economic development presentation, said that the ISO rating is a significant factor in attracting new business to the area. Mandell agreed with that assessment.

City Councilman Jeff Leeman noted that some tough decisions will have to be made soon. “Placement (of a new facility) is a big part of the picture,” he said. "Revitalization (by itself) won't solve the problem.”

The Central Fire Station, located at 600 South Hancock, was built in 1974.