By Carolyn Lee, The Imperial Republican 

Chase County is proceeding with plans for constructing an Emergency Services Building to house Emergency Medical Services (EMS), handibuses and Chase County Emergency Management.

Bids will be opened Feb. 18 at a special county commissioner meeting at the courthouse in Imperial. The building is to be located in Imperial at the corner of 13th and Grant Streets, on land already owned by the county.

The 60 by 100 foot metal building will be located to the east of the present county shop in Imperial. Access will be through concrete approaches on the north and south sides of the building, with drives opening onto 13th Street and Grant Street.

The 3,296 square foot building will house an office for EMS, an office for Chase County Emergency Manager Paul Kunnemann, a meeting room, a kitchenette, restrooms and a shower room, drainage for water runoff, and bays for two ambulances, two handibuses, and the Chase County Emergency Management pickup and trailer.

A second floor over the offices will provide storage and a mezzanine that opens to the bay area.

The plans aren’t final, but Chase County Commissioner Don Weiss Jr. doesn’t foresee many changes to them. “We may have to back off some” of the features, he said, depending on the bids received.

The county has budgeted $300,000 for the project. Weiss said “I hope we don’t go near that high.” He said there isn’t an estimate for the project yet.

The plans have been drawn by Jeff Tidymann of Engineering International of McCook. They are on display at the Chase County Clerk’s office.

Originally, the county had been asked to help finance a new fire hall for the Imperial Volunteer Fire Department, which would also house the EMS and Chase County Emergency Management.

The fire department plans to build a hall east of the city office complex, citing a need for more space.

Weiss said the commissioners decided to build separately from the new fire hall “because it would cost a heck of a lot less” to do it themselves. He also expressed concern that the county wouldn’t have had any say in decisions concerning the cost or construction of the fire hall.

The present fire hall is owned by the City of Imperial. Once the fire department and EMS are moved, the building will continue to house city vehicles.

The commissioners approved the letting of the bids at their Dec. 14, 2009 meeting.