New monument to salute Windham’s Public Safety members

Windham firefighters, emergency medical personnel and 
police officers will be honored with a new monument and
courtyard outside the renovated Public Safety Building on
Gray Road once construction is completed in June. From
left, Windham Fire Chief Brent Libby, Windham Fire Captain
Alfred Carter, Windham Fire-Rescue Office Coordinator
Nancy Graves and Windham Police Captain Ray Williams
show an artist's depiction of the monument.
PHOTO BY ED PIERCE

By Ed Pierce

 

The courage, integrity and commitment shown by Windham’s public safety members is undeniable and soon these heroes who deliver help when emergencies arise, battle deadly fires, and offer residents of the community around-the-clock protection will soon be recognized in a special way.

There may be no proper way to repay members of Windham’s Fire-Rescue Department and the Windham Police Department for their dedicated service as they risk their health and their lives to keep us all safe, but a new monument to be installed outside Windham’s renovated Public Safety Building this spring will pay tribute to these brave men and women for their continued efforts on behalf of the town.  

This week as police officers and fire department administrators moved from the second floor to the newly renovated first floor of the Windham Public Safety Building at 375 Gray Road, work on the $4.3 million facility expansion project continues while plans were announced to create and install a monument outside the building once work is completed there later this spring.

 

According to Windham Fire-Rescue Chief Brent Libby, the Public Safety Monument will be a lasting way to recognize the contributions that police officers and firefighters have made to the town.

 

Libby said that the current Public Safety Building on Gray Road was built in 1988 at a time when none of the town’s firefighters were full-time staff members and Windham only had about 15 or so police officers on duty. Through the decades as Windham has grown, the town now employs four professional firefighters and the town’s police force has doubled in size to 30 officers.

 

When construction work is finished in June, the existing 17,000-square-foot building will add a 15,247-square foot renovation including joint space for both the Windham Fire Department and the Windham Police Departments.

 

The project features a two-story 5,840-square-foot addition to the building that will house five apparatus bays, a public safety decontamination space, bunk rooms, kitchen and offices for the Windham Fire Department and an additional 1,305-square-foot standalone three-bay space for vehicle and evidence storage for the Windham Police Department, along with the creation of a second elevator for the building.

 

In 2020, Windham residents approved up to $4.9 million in bonds during the Annual Town Meeting for capital improvement projects, including funding the expansion for the town’s public safety building.

 

Once construction at the facility performed by Great Falls Construction of Gorham wraps up, a new Public Safety Monument will be dedicated, and the public will be able to surround the courtyard around it with engraved paver stones offered by members of Windham’s Fire-Rescue Department.

 

Windham Fire-Rescue Office Coordinator Nancy Graves and Fire-Rescue Captain Alfred Carter are leading that initiative and say that the 8 x 4 paving stones are available for $120 and can include up to 30 characters. Donations for the project from the public are also being sought. 

 

“We see this as an area of remembrance of those who have served,” Carter said.

 

No Windham police or firefighters have lost their lives while on duty over the years, but Windham Police Captain Ray Williams said that the new monument will represent the deep level of commitment that public safety personnel have shown over the decades of service to town residents.

 

“Officers see it as support for their service and support for their sacrifice,” Williams said.   

 

Police officers first started using the existing Windham Public Safety Building in April 1990 and the renovated facility will be a significant upgrade for the Windham Police Department, Williams said.

 

Libby said that four Windham firefighters will be on duty at a time at the Public Safety Building and they are grateful to be able to work in the remodeled building thanks to the support of the public for public safety.

He said that the new monument and its surrounding courtyard with paver stones will be a constant reminder of the heritage and memory of all police officers and firefighters through the decades in Windham. The monument also will have space available to place the names of fallen personnel who are serving in the line of duty if such a tragedy takes place.

 

“Over the course of the years there have been hundreds of residents who have served, and this remembers the hundreds of hours they put in to serve their community,” Libby said.

To purchase a paver stone or to offer a donation for the monument, call Graves or Carter at 207-892-1911. <  

Windham's Public Safety Building renovation and expansion officially under way

Members of Windham's Town Council, construction officials,
town public safety members and first responders, and Windham's
town manager gathered at the Windham Public Safety Building
at 375 Gray Road on July 2 to officially break ground for
expansion and renovation of the 33-year-old public safety
facility. Great Falls Construction of Gorham will work on
the $4.3 million project and expects to complete construction
in about 10 months. PHOTO BY ED PIERCE

By Ed Pierce

It’s been a long time coming, but ground has finally been broken on the $4.3 million expansion of Windham’s Public Safety Building at 375 Gray Road.

In a special groundbreaking ceremony conducted on July 2, members of the Windham Town Council joined Windham’s Police Chief and Fire Chief and construction officials in celebrating the start of the highly anticipated project.

When construction work is finished, the existing 17,000-square-foot building will add a 15,247-square foot renovation including joint space for both the Windham Fire Department and the Windham Police Departments. The project features a two-story 5,840-square-foot addition that will house five apparatus bays, a public safety decontamination space, bunk rooms, kitchen and offices for the Fire Department and an additional 1,305-square-foot standalone three-bay space for vehicle and evidence storage for the Police Department, along with the creation of a second elevator for the building.

Construction work will be performed by Great Falls Construction of Gorham, that has worked on four other projects for the town of Windham and many public safety buildings throughout southern and central Maine.

“We’ve looked at the needs of our police and fire departments for a while and this is a much-needed expansion of Windham’s Public Safety Building,” said Windham Town Manager Barry A. Tibbetts. “We thank the voters for their support and to the Windham Town Council in moving this forward.”

Renovation will take place throughout the entire building and will include HVAC and lighting upgrades to increase efficiencies and updating finishes throughout the building, to include a revised locker room space. Work on the facility during the project will create an additional 10 new parking spaces and a 1,305-square-foot, single-story secured evidence locker that will be located on the corner of the property, along with additional parking, patio space, a dumpster area and a new generator for the building.

Jon Smith, the owner of Great Falls Construction attended the groundbreaking event, as did Architect Mike Hays of Grant Hays Associates of Falmouth, and Owens McCullough of the civil engineering firm Sebago Technics of South Portland and representatives of the structural engineering company Allied Engineering of Portland.

Smith said the entire project team is based in Maine and it’s a great way to give back to the Maine community and support Maine’s workforce.

To accommodate the renovation project, Windham firefighters have temporarily moved out of the building for the duration of construction work, while the Windham Police Department will continue to use the facility as the work progresses.

In 2020, Windham residents approved up to $4.9 million in bonds during the Annual Town Meeting for capital improvement projects, including funding the expansion for the town’s public safety building. Additional funding for the building renovation is derived from town impact fees, which typically run about $300 to $3,500 for new residential developments, with fees for new commercial buildings figured based on purpose and overall square footage.

The current Public Safety Building on Gray Road was built in 1988 at a time when none of the town’s firefighters were full-time staff members and Windham only had about 15 or so police officers on duty. Through the decades as Windham has grown, the town now employs eight professional firefighters and the town’s police force has doubled in size to 30 officers.

Windham Fire Chief Brent Libby said that firefighters have adapted the best they could to the current public safety facility but welcome and appreciate the new expansion.

“It’s a great transition,” Libby said. “There was no room in the current building for future expansion and now we’ll have more space and room to grow. It will provide us with a classroom for training and bathrooms. This project is huge for us and this location is very important for us allowing us to reach wherever we are needed in the town in a short period of time.”

Windham Police Chief Kevin L. Schofield said police officers are grateful for the extra room created from the expansion.

“It’s nice to see that the town and the community has invested in itself,” Schofield said. “It will result in a more modern professional workspace for us as our staffing has doubled in size. It will be adequate space for them for the foreseeable future.”

Police officers first started using the existing Windham Public Safety Building in April 1990.

Mike Hays, the architect who helped create the final design for the building expansion, said he’s humbled to be part of such vital work.

“It’s a great day for Windham’s first responders and I’m excited to be part of such an exciting project. It will be home base for first responders who serve all of the residents of this town.”

Owens McCullough said Sebago Technics is thrilled to work on the project and everyone involved with the renovation and expansion work is eager to get going.

“It’s really a team that makes this happen,” he said.

Construction work is expected to take about 10 months to complete, Tibbetts said. <