Construction on Bear Paw Volunteer fire hall is complete

After a month of construction, the Bear Paw Volunteer Fire Department Fire Hall is now fully constructed, and in another month will be ready to house vehicles.

Bear Paw Volunteer Fire Department Fire Chief Josh Bebee said the building still needs to be hooked up to power and have a boiler installed, but construction was finished on schedule, and if everything keeps going that way the building should be ready for use by August, which he and his crew couldn't be happier for.

"Everybody is excited and happy to see it standing there when you drive south on the highway," Bebee said.

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, the grandfather of Bear Paw Volunteer Fire Department Treasurer Brad Gregoire, who left the department thousands of dollars when he died.

After receiving support from the community and various organizations in the area it's finally becoming a reality.

Fire department members say the hall will not only protect their vehicles from the elements and save them money on repairs, but will provide a more centralized and convenient location for them to keep their equipment.

They said it will also provide an area for record storage and a space for meetings, but that may not be for another year.

Bebee said they're running low on funds for the structure, so they'll need to do a bit more fundraising to add the meeting room, but they've already applied for five different grants that could offset the cost.

He said the department is also looking into some fundraising events this fall, but the community has already given them a lot and they don't want to ask for much more if grants can cover most of it.

He said Clausen and Sons Construction handled the construction of the building, Patrick Construction did the dirt and gravel work and Pasco Ready Mix/Hi-Line Concrete Pumping helped with the concrete, but lots of people from across the community lent their hands and expertise to the project, and he wants to thank every one of them, along with the people who donated to the project.

"We're all extremely happy, everyone that's contributed has done extraordinary work. We're smiling ear to ear," Bebee said.

He said the way this project has gone, and is going, has made him very excited for the future.