The groundbreaking for Kent's new fire station should have been a joyous event. But instead, officials were mindful of the fallen firefighters in New York City at Wednesday's ceremony.
Before the ground was broken, Mayor John Fender asked for a moment of silence to honor the firefighters and police officers injured and killed in the New York and Washington D.C. terrorist attacks.
Later Wednesday, Kent City Council approved legislation allowing firefighters to go outside their jurisdiction to respond to emergencies, such as the attacks this week.
Officials are anxious to move forward with the $3.6 million facility, which will be done in two phases.
The two houses that once stood next to the fire station's service bays have been razed to make way for the first phase of the project, a new working and living quarters. That structure is expected to be completed by August 2002.
After that, the department will move its operations into the new building and the old building will be replaced with new apparatus bays. Safety Director William Lillich said the building is to be completed by June 2003.
Fender said the city needs a new station, and the project will give the firefighters a better work environment and a place to store all of the department's vehicles. Many of the city's vehicles are now stored in the city's service administration building.
Fender also said he was glad the city was able to pay for the station by selling bonds, rather than asking voters to approve a tax.
