Mr. Masiello said the department has outgrown its existing firehouse which was built in 1960 on a half-acre site located on Route 202. He described the current firehouse as “a tight squeeze” for the trucks, apparatus and marine boat for water rescues.

The Thiells Fire District will now work with legal counsel to move forward with the purchase of the 4.2 acres of land and, ultimately, the construction of a new 23,000-square-foot fire station equipped with five bays for the department’s trucks and other apparatus. The total cost of the bond, including hard costs and contingency costs is $24,340,455, which includes $3.3 million to purchase the land and $13.1 million to construct the new fire house. The commission reportedly will use $700,000 from the district’s existing Capital Reserve Fund and $150,000 in available funds of the fire district. The department said it is planning to sell the current firehouse property land for $1.5 million and build the new facility some 500 yards from the current firehouse on Route 202. 

The department reported it received 279 calls in 2023 and 88 so far in 2024. It operates substations near North Rockland High School and near the Bowline Power Plant, and a 14-member dive team for water rescues and emergencies.