Remodeled Raymond fire station rededication by Leah Hoenen

With the uncoupling of a pair of fire hoses, officers of the Raymond Fire Rescue Department officially reopened the District 2 station, which has just undergone an interior remodel.

The department held an open house on Wednesday, May 22, during Emergency Medical Services week, to give community members and those involved in the project a chance to see the final product, visit with department members and tour fire trucks and an ambulance.

The building was originally constructed in the late 1970s and remained largely unchanged since, said Cathy Gosselin, Deputy Chief of the Raymond Fire Rescue Department. “We completely remodeled the living quarters,” she said. While the station does not house live-in staff, the living apartment is available for storm coverage and other big events during which personnel may need to stay, she said.
A team of volunteers donated time and material to the project, said department Chief Bruce Tupper. Because of their contributions, the cost of the project remained low and the department was able to save some expenses.

“I think the project came out very well. We are thankful to the town and selectmen for their support,” said Tupper.

Gosselin said the walls and ceilings were all repainted and a former office is now a living area, while new heating was installed along with an exhaust system to clear fumes from the building when vehicles are started inside. With cream-colored walls and light wood cabinets, the area is bright and welcoming. Floor tiles and a range were donated to the project, she said.

Tupper said the project was very much the result of a community effort, and he thanked volunteers for hundreds of hours spent painting, cleaning, wiring and doing other work to move the project ahead while keeping costs to the town low. “Our folks did a lot of work,” he said, noting that the building was originally constructed by volunteers.

Standing before the Webbs Mills Road building and its new sign, the officers rededicated the building to the memory of department member Joel Bennett, who was 16 years old when he died driving fire apparatus in 1957.

Tupper said the department wants to collect the names of as many people who have been involved with the department as possible. The fire service sees periodic turnover in personnel, he said, and sometimes people’s work and contributions are forgotten. This summer, the department plans to solicit information from the community to help reverse that trend, said Tupper.

The Raymond Fire Rescue Department has 35 members in its on-call company along with four full-time paramedic/firefighter positions, said Gosselin. The department has a Fire Rescue Association which is open to all community members, not only firefighters.