New depot to be built

New fire engine is too big for the armory

The Fraham fire department's newly purchased fire engine is currently housed in the building yard. It is due to be moved in the summer.

(Bild: Horst Einöder/Flashpictures)

A rude awakening in Fraham: the municipality bought a new fire engine for around 500,000 euros. As it turned out, however, the new acquisition does not fit into the depot by 30 centimeters. A new fire station now has to be built at a cost of 1.7 million euros. What will happen to the old building is unclear. 

"The Schildbürger are laughing at us." This is how Fraham's FP municipal councillor Hannes Straßmayr comments on the purchase of a new fire engine for the volunteer fire department. The vehicle, which costs around 500,000 euros, is 30 centimeters too high for the depot. A new building is now being erected at a cost of around 1.7 million euros. In the meantime, the "TLF-B 2000" is parked in the building yard.

The alternative was no four-wheel drive
But first things first: Two years ago, the municipal council decided to purchase the fire engine. The first doubts then arose as to whether it would fit into the depot at all. In the fall of the previous year, the new fire engine drove into Fraham for the first time. By then it was clear that the vehicle was too big. Heads were on fire. An alternative vehicle that was 50,000 euros cheaper and lower was rejected because it did not have four-wheel drive.

Parking lot lowering decided
The plans for the extension and a new garage also fell through. Instead, the lowering of the area in front of the depot was unanimously approved by the municipal council - at a cost of around 230,000 euros.

Bankruptcy threw plans into disarray
However, these plans were also scrapped when the neighboring local supermarket went bankrupt. With 20:4 votes (SP, VP and Greens were in favor, the FP voted against), the local parliament decided to convert the municipally owned building into a fire station. Municipal councillor Gerald Pflügelmaier (Greens) criticized the fact that the garage doors were only planned at the height of the vehicle. However, fire department commander Andreas Riedl assured that no further new purchases were foreseeable in the next 20 to 25 years.

Future use still unclear
It is unclear what will happen to the old depot. SP Mayor Harald Schick said that the existing fire station should be left for the time being. "What goes in there may be an issue in three or four years' time. We have to concentrate on the new one."