The city of Saint Peter had planned to replace its fire hall for nearly ten years. Since the mid-1950s, the town housed its fire department in an old maintenance shop, but the small, repurposed space was no longer adequate. 

As the city grew, the fire department was faced with lacking enough room for training sessions and, more importantly, lacking a decontamination area. With no shower area to use for decontamination, firefighters could bring carcinogens home with them after battling fires and chemical spills – creating health hazards not only for them but their friends, family, and community. 

“It didn’t have any of those things that are really paramount for firefighters to stay healthy after exposure to some of the things that they’re exposed to,” City Administrator Todd Prafke said. 

Response time was another concern. Fire calls require a rapid response, which is dependent upon open corridors for movement throughout the station, into gear, and onto trucks. Due to the hall’s small size, firefighters would have to walk sideways in between equipment, and when returning to the station, had to maneuver trucks into the building. 

After previously receiving funding to expand its hospital, the city again turned to USDA Rural Development as a solution to replace its dated fire hall. The city was awarded a $9,400,000 loan through the Community Facilities Direct Loans and Guaranteed Loans program. 

“They made it as easy as possible as they could for us, so that made a difference,” Prafke said. 

The project allowed the city to build a new facility with larger garage bays, training areas, administrative and staff support, and mechanical areas - all to ensure efficient fire safety. Firefighters are now able to shower and wash their clothes onsite, an effort that limits outside exposure to carcinogens. 

Prafke said the fire department’s operations have improved significantly since moving into the newly built station. The new location has led to faster response times, and the volunteer firefighters have more space to take their gear on and off.

“Our firefighters are smiling and feeling good and proud of the space that they now have and the equipment that they have and their ability to serve the community,” Prafke said. “They’re really doing it not just for themselves, but for others. This helps them do it in a way they feel really good about, and that’s important.”

Although the fire department has not had issues recruiting volunteer firefighters in the past, Prafke believes that the department will easily double or triple its recruitment classes. 

“Those are the people that serve our community and respond to those calls and run in when other people are running out. They have not just an obligation to have things that work, but an obligation that they have things that work well and protect them, which in turn helps protect our community.”

The Community Facilities Direct Loan and Grant Program provides affordable funding to develop essential community facilities in rural areas, such as hospitals, community centers, and police stations.