Source: United States Senator for Maine Susan Collins
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Auburn, ME – Today, U.S. Senator Susan Collins, a co-chair of the Congressional Fire Services Caucus, visited the Central Fire Station, which will be the site of a new public safety building. The renovated and expanded facility will include space for Auburn’s fire and police departments, as well as administrative offices, an emergency operations center, and public areas.
Senator Collins submitted a congressionally directed spending request of $2.5 million for the project. As a senior member of the Appropriations Committee, she is working to secure this funding through the ongoing appropriations process.
“Ensuring that Auburn’s finest and bravest have adequate facilities is essential to improving the efficiency and effectiveness of the emergency services they provide,” said Senator Collins. “The Auburn Police Department’s current headquarters at City Hall was intended to be a temporary solution, but they have been there for 13 years. The Central Fire Station is also in need of expansion and renovation. This project will solve both problems by creating a public safety campus at the Central Fire Station. As a senior member of the Appropriations Committee, I strongly advocated on Auburn’s behalf to include this critical project in the funding bill, and I will continue to champion this investment as the process moves forward.”
A study commissioned by Auburn found that the best option for creating a public safety campus in the city is to expand the Central Fire Station. The plan calls for the police department to move out of Auburn City Hall, which was only supposed to be a five-year solution. The building will also include fire station administrative support, a 911 call center, an emergency operations center, and common public space, as well as shared program rooms. They will also add onto the building to support a tower truck and renovate living space.
During her visit, Senator Collins also watched a demonstration by the communications center, which recently upgraded its technology to enhance the coordination between the school and police departments and allow law enforcement to rapidly address potential threats. Senator Collins secured $400,000 for this upgrade in 2018 for the Auburn Police Department through the Department of Justice’s Community Oriented Policing Services grant program.
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