South St. Louis County News

St. Louis Call Newspapers

South St. Louis County News

St. Louis Call Newspapers

South St. Louis County News

St. Louis Call Newspapers

FACTS to focus on district’s facilities; fire district sets guided tour Saturday

Mehlville Fire Protection District Paramedic Doug Weck, standing, discusses staffing options with Albert Fuchs, left, and Gary Gross during the June 30 meeting of the districts Fire District Advisory Committee for Tomorrows Emergency Services, or FACTS.
Bill Milligan photo
Mehlville Fire Protection District Paramedic Doug Weck, standing, discusses staffing options with Albert Fuchs, left, and Gary Gross during the June 30 meeting of the district’s Fire District Advisory Committee for Tomorrow’s Emergency Services, or FACTS. Bill Milligan photo

Facilities will be the focus of the next meeting of the Mehlville Fire Protection District’s Fire District Advisory Committee for Tomorrow’s Emergency Services, or FACTS.

The meeting will take place from 7 to 9 p.m. Wednesday, July 14, at St. Simon the Apostle Church in the Ahrens’ Church Hall, 11011 Mueller Road, directly across the street from the fire district’s headquarters.

Besides Wednesday’s FACTS meeting, a tour of the fire district’s facilities is scheduled from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, July 17. In addition, open houses will be conducted at all of the district’s firehouses from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, July 17.

FACTS is designed to involve residents in developing recommendations that, upon implementation, will provide better emergency solutions for the entire community.

The group is meeting two to three times a month to study key issues, define the district’s needs and reach consensus on potential solutions.

Areas being studied are the district’s finances, equipment, staffing, facilities and other topics decided by participants.

At the end of the process, participants will present recommendations to the district’s Board of Directors — Chairman Tom O’Driscoll, Treasurer Dan Ottoline Sr. and Secretary David Gralike — for consideration.

The Mehlville Fire Protection District owns seven firehouses and a dispatch center. At Wednesday’s FACTS meeting, residents will have the opportunity to discover if these facilities are ready for the future and adequate to provide the level of services they expect from the district.

After a facilities presentation from Dwight Dickinson and Don Hussman of Dickinson Hussman Architects, participants will have the opportunity to provide feedback on options for facilities improvements.

On Saturday, participants will have the opportunity to see Mehlville’s facilities firsthand as the district is opening its doors for a guided tour and open houses.

The guided tour will start at 9 a.m. at the Mehlville Fire Protection District Headquarters Engine Room, 11020 Mueller Road. The guided tour will last until noon.

Those wanting to participate in the guided tour can call (314) 894-0420, Ext. 1716, or e-mail facts@mehlville-fire.gen.mo.us so transportation can be arranged.

In addition, all of the firehouses will be open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. for residents to tour. The firehouses are:

• House 1: 7409 S. Lindbergh Blvd.

• House 2: 5610 Telegraph Road.

• House 3: 11625 Sappington Barracks Road.

• House 4: 13106 Tesson Ferry Road.

• House 5: 11020 Mueller Road.

• House 6: 6870 Telegraph Road.

• House 7: 5501 Old Lemay Ferry Road.

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