A new fire station means that safety and peace of mind are a lot closer to home for families in the Town of Alden thanks to a $694,880 zero-interest pass-through loan from Polk-Burnett Electric Cooperative, via the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Rural Economic Development Loan and Grant (REDLG) program.
Loan documents were signed November 1, 2019, by Barry Ausen, chair of Allied Emergency Services and co-op leadership. L-R: Polk-Burnett Board President Ed Gullickson, Polk-Burnett General Manager Steve Stroshane, Allied Chair Barry Ausen and Polk-Burnett Accounting Manager Heather Gerber.
The new Alden Fire Station improves fire, rescue and first-response service for local residents and is part of Allied Emergency Services, a newly formed fire district serving the towns of Osceola, Alden, Garfield and the Village of Dresser.
Allied Emergency Services, formerly D.O.G. (Dresser, Osceola, Garfield) Fire Association, provides emergency response to 8,162 people and 3,913 homes, and has existing fire stations in the Village of Dresser and the Town of Garfield. “We’re excited to announce the groundbreaking of Alden Fire Station, our newest facility in our expanded service territory,” said Dan Burch, chairman of Allied Emergency Services at the time of the groundbreaking.
“Many of these rural families are electric co-op members, and we are proud to be a part of this project that looks out for their long-term needs and improves our local quality of life,” said Ed Gullickson, Polk-Burnett board president.
The new three-bay fire station is located at 1846 West Church Road, Star Prairie, at the intersection of 185th Street and Church Road in the Town of Alden. The 6,000-square-foot facility provides garage space for six emergency vehicles, including a pumper truck, brush/grass fire rig and first responder vehicle.
Construction of the new fire station started October 29, 2018, with an open house dedication September 21, 2019. Berghammer Builders of Clayton was the general contractor.
“We greatly appreciate and are thankful to Polk-Burnett Electric Cooperative for the zero-percent interest loan,” said Burch. “Because of their generosity, considerable cost savings will benefit the community and Allied Emergency Services.”
“The zero-interest loan from Polk-Burnett via the USDA provides $350,000 in savings for fire district taxpayers and allows us to support our communities far beyond our electric service,” said Gullickson. “We are excited to receive USDA funding for this project; this is an opportunity to make a difference in our community.”
As a cooperative, Polk-Burnett is eligible for USDA loans to support rural economic development; our participation does not impact rates for members.
Polk-Burnett is a local electric cooperative that belongs to the members it serves. It was established in 1938 with lines, poles and the notion that we all prosper by helping each other. Today, the cooperative spirit continues, and Polk-Burnett delivers reliable electricity to more than 20,000 members with efficiency and extraordinary service.
See how Polk-Burnett Electric Cooperative supports economic development to strengthen our local communities.
