Havre gets fire truck in 'win-win' deal

The Havre city government and the Hill County government are joining forces in a new industrial park going in southwest of Havre, with the city agreeing to provide fire protection at the site and the county buying a new fire truck to help provide it.

Havre Fire Department Assistant Chief Tim Hedges, left, and Chief Dave Sheppard stand next to the department's new Ford F-750 2,000-gallon water tank fire truck this morning. The truck will be used to fight fires outside of Havre's city limits in Rural Fire District 1.

"This investment is really a win-win for both the City of Havre and the residents of Hill County who live in Rural Fire District No. 1," Havre Fire Chief Dave Sheppard said in a press release announcing the agreement and new fire truck. "This project is proof that when people work together for a common purpose the end result can be beneficial for everyone."

The Hill County government had been working since the middle of the last decade to find a spot for an industrial park with a focus on alternative energy and value-added agriculture.

An industrial park is an area zoned and planned often with infrastructure developed, such as roads and water and sewer systems to attract and house industry in an area.

Dave VanderGriend of Idaho donated the 40 acres of land west of Fort Assinniboine in 2008 to be used in creating the industrial park.

In 2009, the Legislature approved a $300,000 grant using money from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, President Barack Obama's economic stimulus package.

Thursday, the city and county announced they had entered into an interlocal agreement that the park would be included in Rural Fire District 1, a doughnut-shaped area around Havre which is covered by the Havre Fire Department.

The county purchased a Ford F-750 firefighting truck with a 2,000-gallon water tank that can dispense water at a rate of 750 gallons per minute for the fire department to improve coverage in the district.

"The Legislature allocated funding to help develop the infrastructure for the industrial park, including providing added fire protection for potential future businesses who may locate there," Mike Wendland, chair of the Hill County Commission, said in the release.

"This is very good news for our area and it couldn't have happened without everyone working together," he added. "Funding for the fire truck came to the State of Montana through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, was allocated to Hill County by the Montana Legislature and the City of Havre and Hill County agreed on how best to utilize the equipment. There is now better fire protection for the residents and businesses of Rural Fire District No. 1 and we can now appropriately serve any future business who locates in the industrial park."

Sheppard said the new truck will help more than just the industrial park.

"Our department responds to fire emergencies throughout Rural Fire District No. 1 and this new firetruck will allow us to do that even more efficiently," he said. "The new truck is a great addition to our fleet of emergency service vehicles we already employ when we get the call to respond. This truck will be used not only for fire protection for the industrial park, but much more broadly for fire emergencies throughout Rural Fire District No. 1."

Paul Tuss, executive director of Bear Paw Development Corp., which coordinate the project for Hill County, said this morning that work is progressing on the industrial park.

"With fire protection take care of, the road and cul de sac done, we have two water wells that were drilled out there, it's been subdivided, we're really now at the point of those last two critical items, which we hope to get done by by late summer or early fall, that would include both electricity and hopefully natural gas," he said.

Phase two would include looking at what railroad needs businesses coming to the park would need and finding funding for any upgrades needed.

Tuss said Bear Paw has continued to talk to businesses that have expressed interest in locating at the industrial park, including new discussions that recently started.

"We're very hopeful that once the infrastructure is constructed, the industrial park itself will be a magnet for investment and location decisions." he said.