Bear Paw fire department hall finally rising

The Bear Paw Volunteer Fire Department's new, and long-awaited, Fire Hall is being built just south of Havre after an outpouring of community support.

Fire Chief Josh Bebee and his colleagues, as well as Bear Paw VFD board members have said this structure will improve operations, save them money on equipment repairs and significantly improve morale. They said the hall can be used to store equipment and vehicles that would otherwise be exposed to the elements and often need to be repaired, as well as provide a space for meetings and record storage.

Bebee has said the efforts to get a fire hall for the department have been going on for more than a decade, essentially starting with former Bear Paw Volunteer Fire Department Fire Chief Giles Gregoire, Bear Paw Volunteer Fire Department Treasurer Brad Gregoire's grandfather, who left the department thousands of dollars when he died, and after receiving support from the community and various organizations in the area it's finally being built.