The Atkins City Council approved a design for a new fire station to replace its old one that was destroyed during the 2020 derecho, cbs2iowa.com reported recently.
During a meeting Tuesday, May 28, the council approved the second proposed option, which is estimated to cost around $5,078,288, the report said.
The Atkins Fire Station was destroyed in the August 2020 derecho, according to the city’s website. Damage was so severe that emergency vehicles were trapped inside the structure and not available for emergency calls. The station was originally built in 1992. Fire equipment and office items are currently being housed at various locations around Atkins. The first responders have no training facilities and minimal office space. The fire station is really a first responder station in that most calls are related to medical issues, vehicle or farm accidents, or home emergencies like carbon monoxide poisoning. First responder calls in Atkins have doubled within the past seven years.
