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AGENCY REQUEST
FOR
BUILDING COMMISSION ACTION
January 2006
Project No. 05L1E, 05L1F
I.
Agency:
Department of Natural Resources
II.
Location:
Statewide: Wisconsin Dells Ranger Station (Columbia County), Northern
Highlands-American Legion State Forest-Trout Lake Forestry headquarters
(Vilas County)
III.
Project Request: The Department requests the authority to bid and construct:
A. a 3,300 gross square foot (gsf) heated three bay drive-thru storage building at the Wisconsin
Dells Ranger Station at an estimated total project budget of $377,400 in Segregated
Conservation Fund Borrowing (20.866 (2)(tu)), and
B. a 2,625 gsf heated, two bay, drive-thru storage building at the Trout Lake Forestry
Headquarters facility at an estimated total project budget of $346,700 in Segregated
Conservation Fund Borrowing (20.866 (2)(tu)).
These heated storage buildings will allow the Fire Control heavy units to be stored in a fully
loaded, fire ready status throughout the year. The existing unheated heavy unit storage building
at Wisconsin Dells Ranger Station will be demolished to create a site of sufficient size for the
new building.
IV.
Project Description and Justification Wisconsin Dells Ranger Station, project #05L1E: The
Wisconsin Dells Ranger Station is located within the city limits of Wisconsin Dells, Columbia
County, approximately 50 miles north of Madison and 50 miles south of Wisconsin Rapids. The
Fire Response Unit (FRU) of the Wisconsin Dells Ranger Station covers approximately 350
square miles covering 10 Townships in 4 counties, along with mutual aid agreements with 8
different local fire departments.
The station is one of seven fire control field stations within the Wisconsin Rapids area of the West
Central Region. The Wisconsin Dells station and four surrounding stations are classified at the
highest level of fire control protection, Level of Protection (LOP) 1 within the Department’s
classification system. LOP 1 areas are the most critical, and are composed of fuel types such as jack
pine, red pine, white pine and scrub oak with conifer mixed. LOP 1 fires have a high rate of spread
and heat output which can result in pine crown fires, mixed with a high volume of tourist and
seasonal residents in the surrounding area. In the past large forest fires within the Wisconsin Dells
FRU (Lyndon Station fires of 1957, 1980, 1988) resulted in large loss of private property,
improvements and have posed a serious threat to human life.
One 4x4 type 7 engine and two Fire Control heavy units (each consisting of a three ton fire
engine truck, John Deere 450 tractor/plow and trailer) are assigned to the ranger station. The
station also the houses the Wisconsin Dells Natural Area 4x4, equipped with a slip on fire unit,
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two ATV’s equipped for fire suppression, three pumper trailers, and a disk for disking fire
breaks.
Currently, an unheated 2,400 gross square foot (40’ x 60’) steel framed shed (building # 3922) is
used to store the Fire Control heavy units in a fully loaded fire ready status when outside
temperatures are above freezing. The crowded storage condition leaves little room for storage of
smaller fire fighting apparatus, fire equipment cache and other station maintenance equipment.
To prevent water from freezing in the tanks, pumps, and plumbing systems of the trucks and
tractor/plows in early spring and late fall, this equipment is unloaded and stored in a heated
garage of the main office building (building #01984). The trailers are left stored unloaded in the
unheated storage shed (building #3922). Because this equipment is not in a fire-ready response
condition, there is an increase in response time. This delay causes an increase in fire size and
damage during critical fire weather. It is also an unsafe situation for the operators to load and
respond in a hastily fashion to forest fires or mutual aid emergencies. Too many opportunities for
failing to safely secure and prepare the fire unit for operation can occur. On occasion, the
operator who stored the unit may not be the operator during the initial call-up, again increasing
the potential of an accident or a not-fire-ready situation to occur.
Trout Lake Forestry Headquarters, project #05l1F: The Trout Lake Forestry Headquarters is
located in the heart of the Northern Highland - American Legion State Forest (NHAL), four
miles south of the village of Boulder Junction, in Vilas County. The Trout Lake complex
provides maintenance and shop buildings, storage, and offices for State Forest recreation
operations, forest management, law enforcement, and fire control. Seventeen permanent
employees work out of the headquarters, along with 4 - 6 LTE's.
The headquarters supports two forestry personnel with primary fire control duties assigned to the
Trout Lake Fire Response Unit. The Fire Response Area of the Trout Lake Station covers
approximately 243,072 acres or 380 square miles covering six townships in western Vilas
County. The protection area covers both public and privately owned lands and structures.
Currently there is not a dedicated building for storing fire control vehicles and equipment. One
Fire Control 4X4 (Initial Attack Truck) and one Fire Control Heavy Unit (consisting of a threeton fire engine truck, John Deere 450 tractor/plow, and trailer) are stationed at Trout Lake. Other
fire control equipment such as the fire boat, outboard motor, trailer, utility trailer, portable
pumps, fire hose, and fire hand tools are also stored there.
The present storage facilities are not adequate to store a fully loaded heavy unit in fire ready
status. Presently, the three-ton truck and tractor/plow are stored side by side in one end of an
existing unheated, metal shed. The truck must be moved to access the tractor/plow. The trailer
is left outside year-round because of lack of storage space. The fire control 4X4 is stored in a
different building on the opposite end of the complex grounds.
In early spring and late fall, when still experiencing freezing temperatures, the trucks and
tractor/plow must either have the water removed and pumps winterized each night or parked in
the State Forest maintenance shop where there is heat available. This displaces recreation
equipment and interferes with State Forest work projects.
Because of the limited storage facilities, fire control equipment is currently stored in three
separate buildings and outside on the grounds. Construction of a heated storage fire control drive
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through building would allow for consolidation of all fire equipment into one building, protect
specialized equipment from damage by the elements, and provide a safer work environment.
V.
Budget and Schedule:
Budget
Wisconsin Dells Ranger Station, project #05L1E:
Construction ........................................................................................................................ $305,700
A/E design and other fees ............................................................................................................. 28,000
DSF project delivery fee (4% of construction and contingency) ................................................. 13,100
Contingency (7%).......................................................................................................................... 21,400
Movable equipment (3%)................................................................................................................ 9,200
Total estimated project budget .................................................................................................. $377,400
Trout Lake Forestry Headquarters, project #05l1F:
Subtotal construction .......................................................................................................... $255,300
Remote location (10%) ........................................................................................................... 25,500
Total construction ............................................................................................................... $280,800
AE Design and other fees ..................................................................................................... $25,800
DSF Project delivery fee (4% of construction and contingency) ........................................... 12,000
Contingency (7%) ................................................................................................................... 19,700
Movable equipment (3%) ......................................................................................................... 8,400
Total estimated project budget ........................................................................................... $346,700
Schedule
Program approval ............................................................................................................... January 2006
A/E selection .................................................................................................................... February 2006
Design report to the Building Commission ....................................................................................... NA
Bid date ........................................................................................................................... November 2006
Start construction.................................................................................................................... April 2007
Substantial completion ................................................................................................... December 2007
Final completion ................................................................................................................. January 2008
VI.
Previous Building Commission Action: None. This project was contained in the Department's
2005-07 Capital Development request. It was included in the State Building Commission's Capital
Budget Recommendations.
Agency Contact: Nathan Benoy (715)365-8989 [email protected]
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