Eagle Rock ambulance station expected to be complete in March
The site of the new ambulance station in Eagle Rock, located on Highway 86 next to the Eagle Rock-Golden-Mano Fire Department Headquarters.
January 15, 2020
Vinnie Roberts
In June of last year, the South Barry County Ambulance District (SBCAD) announced their plans to move forward with construction on a new ambulance facility in Eagle Rock. Now, just six months later, the facility is nearing completion, with multiple key elements in place.
The new ambulance facility is located to the Eagle Rock-Golden-Mano Fire Protection District headquarters on Highway 86 in Eagle Rock. It will serve the same protection area as the fire department, allowing for the area to have their own medical transport onsite at all times.
This will be the third SBCAD facility in Barry County, with the other two currently in Cassville and Shell Knob. According to earlier sources, Eagle Rock was chosen to receive a facility of its own due to call volume. It currently takes ambulances an estimated 40 minutes to reach callers in Eagle Rock due to its relative distance from both other facilities.
According to Ken Cieslinski, owner of Ken’s Collision Center and SBCAD board president, after the announcement, the board accepted bids and filed a notice to proceed on September 10 of 2019. The board accepted a bid from DeWitt & Associates, Inc., a general contractor out of Springfield, to head up the project.
Additionally, the board, in conjunction with DeWitt, hired several other local contractors for various parts of the construction. This included three Barry and Lawrence county businesses.
“I wanted to make sure that we used local contractors,” explained Celinski. “I didn’t want someone from Tulsa or Little Rock just coming in and throwing our money in the til. As it is, the furthest contractor from us is only about 100 miles away.”
Cieslinski went on to explain that construction officially began on October 1, with the expectation that construction would take 5-6 months to complete.
The facility has a budget of approximately $1.1 million.
“Budget-wise, we are absolutely on-target,” said Celinski.
So far, construction teams have managed to finish a large portion of the facility. Finished projects include: dirt work and excavation; footings and foundation; completed, onsite well; framing on both the building and the garage; and decking on the roof. Preliminary electrical work and plumbing has recently begun on the facility, and will be one of the major steps toward completion.
The facility also features a helipad for any potential life-flight or aerial transportation needs. The concrete for the helipad has been poured and hardened and the preliminary electric work has been done. Final electric work on the helipad is scheduled to be completed along with the interior electric work over the next few months.
Cieslinski concluded, stating that there is roughly three months of construction left on the project, with the new facility expected to be completed sometime in March of this year.
Vinnie Roberts
In June of last year, the South Barry County Ambulance District (SBCAD) announced their plans to move forward with construction on a new ambulance facility in Eagle Rock. Now, just six months later, the facility is nearing completion, with multiple key elements in place.
The new ambulance facility is located to the Eagle Rock-Golden-Mano Fire Protection District headquarters on Highway 86 in Eagle Rock. It will serve the same protection area as the fire department, allowing for the area to have their own medical transport onsite at all times.
This will be the third SBCAD facility in Barry County, with the other two currently in Cassville and Shell Knob. According to earlier sources, Eagle Rock was chosen to receive a facility of its own due to call volume. It currently takes ambulances an estimated 40 minutes to reach callers in Eagle Rock due to its relative distance from both other facilities.
According to Ken Cieslinski, owner of Ken’s Collision Center and SBCAD board president, after the announcement, the board accepted bids and filed a notice to proceed on September 10 of 2019. The board accepted a bid from DeWitt & Associates, Inc., a general contractor out of Springfield, to head up the project.
Additionally, the board, in conjunction with DeWitt, hired several other local contractors for various parts of the construction. This included three Barry and Lawrence county businesses.
“I wanted to make sure that we used local contractors,” explained Celinski. “I didn’t want someone from Tulsa or Little Rock just coming in and throwing our money in the til. As it is, the furthest contractor from us is only about 100 miles away.”
Cieslinski went on to explain that construction officially began on October 1, with the expectation that construction would take 5-6 months to complete.
The facility has a budget of approximately $1.1 million.
“Budget-wise, we are absolutely on-target,” said Celinski.
So far, construction teams have managed to finish a large portion of the facility. Finished projects include: dirt work and excavation; footings and foundation; completed, onsite well; framing on both the building and the garage; and decking on the roof. Preliminary electrical work and plumbing has recently begun on the facility, and will be one of the major steps toward completion.
The facility also features a helipad for any potential life-flight or aerial transportation needs. The concrete for the helipad has been poured and hardened and the preliminary electric work has been done. Final electric work on the helipad is scheduled to be completed along with the interior electric work over the next few months.
Cieslinski concluded, stating that there is roughly three months of construction left on the project, with the new facility expected to be completed sometime in March of this year.
