Merrillville fire district plans to remodel Station No. 1

• Reprints

Updated: March 20, 2012 8:15AM

The Merrillville Fire Protection Territory Board has given the Fire Department permission to choose one of two firms to retrofit Station No. 1 on 73rd Avenue to accommodate its first full-time department.

Image Innovations Inc. in Chesterton and Stutler Architects in Portage submitted similar bids that were within the estimated costs.

Fire Chief Ed Yerga said he will meet with both companies on Feb. 28, after which he and the Fire Department attorney will make a final decision.

Yerga declined to give a dollar figure for the work, saying it could change after the meetings.

Yerga said the work would include plumbing, electrical, heating and air conditioning and reworking the entire upstairs portion of the station to accommodate the 14 full-time firefighters who will eventually be hired, including himself and Jim Lilley, who was recently approved as deputy fire chief.

Lilley is currently chief of detectives for the Merrillville Police Department and a volunteer firefighter.

Ron Dudley, a member of the Fire Protection Territory Board, said the territory plans to begin taking applications for the additional 12 full-time firefighters next month.

“Hopefully, we’ll have the full-time department in place on July 1,” Yerga said.

Yerga said he is also getting some dollar figures together in order to issue a bond to purchase four new fire trucks.