Shippensburg Emergency Services Building

3/3/2012 Epoxy Floors, VHC Exhaust & EMS Paint

2012-03-03T13:00:00.001-05:00

West Side.

South Side.

East Side.

Fire Hydrant on west side of building.

Rainwater collection at VHC back entrance.

Exterior lighting down the old driveway.

The new driveway off Orange Street will be wider and east of the old drive.

Hallway from Under Ambo Storage to Fitness Room (right) and Back Stairs (left).

VHC Pantry from VHC Kitchen.

VHC Men's Locker Room.

Water supply in Mechanical Room.

Water Heaters in Mechanical Room.

Panel boxes in Mechanical Room.,

First floor corridor. EMS Storage and VHC Museum left, Multipurpose Room right.

Looking north.

VHC Watch Room.

VHC Apparatus Bay with Vehicle Exhaust system being installed.

VHC second floor offices. Looking from exit to Apparatus Bay (to my left)

towards Walnut Bottom Road, Orange Street intersection.

IT Room.

Elevator Mechanical Room.

Front Stairway, near Orange Street second floor entrance.

EMS Office corridor, looking towards Ambulance Bays.

EMS Office along Orange Street side.

EMS Junior Member Area.

EMS Kitchen and Pantry.

EMS Ambulance Bay doors.

EMS Gear Room in Ambulance Bay.

EMS doors (L-R)Living area - Decon - Storage from Ambulance Bay.

Second floor Elevator shaft.

VHC Gear Room. Apparatus Bays left.

Building wall at Generator and HVAC tower.

2/25/2012 EMS Bays Doors, 2nd Floor Paint & Arches

2012-02-25T15:00:00.002-05:00

West Side.

South Side.

East Side.

Arches above VHC apparatus doors, west side.

Electrical Room in Under Ambo Storage area.

VHC Apparatus bay. Lights, exhaust system, water lines, air lines and fire suppression lines.

Mail boxes in VHC Watch Room.

Hallway in overnight VHC Bunkroom.

Hallway in individual VHC Bunkrooms.

VHC Museum.

Multipurpose Room.

IT Room. The spider nest gets bigger.

VHC Fire Chief's Office.

EMS Small Bunkroom. Set up for two beds.

EMS Locker Room.

EMS Kitchen and Pantry.

EMS TV Room.

EMS Storage and Study. It still needs a wall between the two.

EMS Storage Room and Gear Room in Ambulance Bay.

Ambulance Bay doors

EMS Junior Member area.

EMS Trip Sheet Room.

EMS File Room.

Arches over Ambulance doors.

Starting ground face bricks on Orange Street side.

Wall panels in VHC Men's Locker/Shower Room

VHC TV Room and Kitchen.

Water heater on Mezzanine in VHC Apparatus Bay.

VHC Apparatus bay looking south from Mezzanine.

Cat walk and hose hanger in Hose Tower.

2/19/2012 Arches, Study and Ceiling Grid

2012-02-19T13:00:00.001-05:00

West Side.

South Side.

East Side.

Arches in progress over VHC Apparatus Doors.

Porch roof to the rear of the VHC Living area.

Electrical Room in Under Ambo Storage area.

Overhead door in Under Ambo Storage area.

VHC Vehicle exhaust parts and pieces.

VHC Individual Bunk Rooms. Ceiling grid has started.

VHC Bay door openers in the Watch Room.

Looking up into the Hose Tower at the catwalk for hanging hose on the pipe hangers.

First floor lobby. Multipurpose Room left, VHC Museum and EMS Storage room right.

IT Room. All the computers, radios, telephones and door controls are located here.

One of the large EMS Bunk Rooms. These are set up to fit 5 bunks.

Building the EMS Gear Room, Storage Room and the Study

in the back of the Ambulance Bay.

Inside of center Ambulance bay door.

Walls are painted, doors are coming soon.

Generator and cooling tower.

Arches over the center Ambulance Bay door.

2/12/2012 Paint, Ambo Floor and More Bricks

2012-02-12T13:00:00.000-05:00

West Side.

South Side,

East Side.

Painting in the VHC Apparatus Bay.

Beginning of the stairs in the Hose Tower.

Hose hanger and hoist beam in the Hose Tower.

Color scheme in VHC Bunk Rooms.

Painting started in VHC Apparatus bay.

Brick in front of Ambulance bay doors.

Roof over Second floor entrance.

Parking lot light pole bases.

Roof over first floor entrance.

Masonry banding being installed on Walnut Bottom Road side.

2/4/2012 FD Bay Doors, EMS Bays Ready for Concrete

2012-02-04T15:00:00.000-05:00

West Side.

South Side.

East Side.

VHC Kitchen from the TV Room.

VHC Apparatus bays doors being installed.

In floor heating in EMS Ambulance bays.

Area without in floor heating is the Study and EMS Storage.

Roof over the VHC Back doors.

Left man-door to VHC Apparatus Bay, right door to Stairway from Fitness Room to Study.

Second floor window is EMS Kitchen.

EMS Kitchen and Pantry.

Stairs for in the Hose Tower. Hose hanging rack is installed in the tower.

Doors (L-R) VHC Storage Room (Air Cascade & Ice Machine) VHC Gear Wash Room (Gear Washers and dryers and SCBA Cleaning Station) Engineers Room and Hose Tower.

Stairs from the 2nd floor VHC Offices to the Apparatus bays.

Bottom doors are both into the Gear Room.

Upper window is the Captain/Lieutenants Office.

Main entrance to the first floor. 1st floor window is VHC Watch Room.

2nd floor windows (L-R) VHC Presidents Office. VHC Support Office (Fire Police, Ladies Auxiliary and Fire Safety) VHC corridor and VH C Fire Chief.

1/28/2012 Concrete in VHC Apparatus Bays, More 2nd Floor Walls

2012-01-28T15:00:00.000-05:00

West Side.

South Side.

East Side.

Back side of the Ambulance Bays and Under Ambo Storage.

VHC Apparatus Bay. Looking north.

VH C Apparatus Bay. Looking east.

VHC Corridor. Laundry and Gear Room left. Bunk Rooms right.

First Floor Main Lobby. Multipurpose Room on the left, Museum on the right.

Multipurpose Room looking south.

EMS Offices along Orange Street.

EMS Junior Member area.

EMS TV Room.

EMS Bunk Room Hallway. Looking towards VHC Offices.

Ambulance Bay.

Second Floor block. Door enters the Ambulance bay.

1/21/2012 Second Floor Walls! Second Floor Walls!

2012-01-21T15:00:00.000-05:00

West Side.

South Side.

East Side.

Door to VHC (left) and Fitness Room/Study Stairway.

Electrical Room.

VHC TV Room.

VHC Kitchen.

VHC Apparatus Bay looking north.

VHC Apparatus Bay in floor heating controls.

VHC Common Bunkroom.

VHC Museum.

EMS Offices.

VHC President's Office.

EMS Bunkroom Hallway, looking towards EMS Lounge.

EMS Kitchen and Pantry.

The lid is finally on the Hose Tower.

1/15/2012 , Bay Floors 2nd Floor Ceiling and Finish Block

2012-01-15T13:00:00.001-05:00

West Side

South Side

East Side

Ground face block on the north wall.

Block on the back side of the Ambulance bays.

Nailing boards for cabinets in the VHC Kitchen.

Working on the floor in the VHC Apparatus Bay.

Drywalling has started on the first floor. Hallway in VHC dorm Bunk Rooms.

Drywall on the bottom off the trusses. Second floor looking across the EMS offices.

Conference Room, IT Room and VHC offices.

Work on the Ambulance Bays. Looking east.

1/8/2012 More Blocks and Drywall Soon

2012-01-10T18:36:00.000-05:00

West Side

South Side

East Side

Concrete poured in the northside room in the VHC Apparatus Bay.

This is the Engineers Room.

Drywall is ready in most of the first floor rooms.

This is one of the individual VHC Bunk Rooms.

Concrete in stairs in southeast Stairway.

Heating ducts on second floor.

EMS Kitchen and Pantry.

Drywall soundproofing between VHC Kitchen/TV Room and the Bunk Rooms.

They will build another wall on this side.

Transformer in the Electrical Room.

More block on the northwest corner of the VHC Apparatus Bay.

Brick and block on the back stairway and west face of the VHC Apparatus Bay.

Lid to the Hose Tower. Yes, they will shingle it on the ground before setting it in place.

VHC Apparatus Bay with drywalled ceiling. Looking south.

1/9/2012 News Chronicle Article

2012-01-09T14:05:00.002-05:00

click here for Original Article

Construction progress is rapid at new fire, ambulance center

Vigilant building chairman ‘can’t believe’ development pace

By DALE HEBERLIG
Managing Editor

Published: Monday, January 9, 2012 2:53 PM EST

A dozen or more emergency service members filtered through the maze of metal framework in a soon-to-be-headquarters Sunday in what has become a weekly ritual for Vigilant Hose Co. and Shippensburg Area EMS members flush with anticipation of a new home.

Stacks of drywall waited in each of the rooms that are partitioned by metal “studs,” giving the interior of the new emergency service a mazelike feel, but building committee chairman Ken Nehf easily indentified, kitchens, laundry rooms, bunk areas, meeting rooms, a fitness room and other amenities during the tour.

Nehf says he’s been doing the Sunday tour for months, taking pictures of the progress of the previous week and posting the views to the Vigilant’s website.

Company President Danny Byers, “We’ve been coming here to take a look ever since there was something to look at.”

The facility will house both the fire company and ambulance provider – essentially one service on each level with some shared space of both floors.

By now images of an operational emergency center are clear in Nehf’s mind’s eye.

As he points out a ground-level storage area nearly the size of the current fire company apparatus parking area, Nehf marvels at the size of a an enormous back-up generator at the rear of the structure at the intersection of Orange Street and Walnut Bottom Road.

“Just the size of that blows my mind,” he says.

At the core of the new building is a gaping open space with five gaping overhead doors at each end. It’s here that the Vigilant Hose Co. apparatus will await dispatch – 10 parking bays with a ceiling so far overhead that the rigs’ hoods will be able to tipped forward for maintenance access.

With doors at each end of the engine room for in-and-out access, the other two sides of the room are bordered by second story decks – offices that overlook the engine room on one side and a variety of uses on the opposite. On the utility side is a window positioned at second story height that will be used for training. Inside the window is a manhole that can be used for rescue training drills.

“They’re just a couple of things we decided to throw in, “ Nehf says.

The building is approaching weather-tight status, with a portion of roof yet to be shingled, a few windows left to be installed and permanent doors still to be put in place.

Nehf and Byers agree that progress inside the huge shell will quicken soon, spreading to the second level where partitions are not yet in place in the space that will be used largely by the ambulance company that is a partner in the construction project.

SAEMS spokeswoman Heather Franzoni was getting her first look at the progress Sunday.

She says ambulance personnel are eager to relocate from the old cramped space in a former row house they’ve occupied since 2006 when the basic ambulance provider split with CV Hose Co. and were “adopted” by the Vigilant Hose Co.

“Our people are excited,” Franzoni said. “We’re still scraping snow and ice off the windows of our ambulances, hitting our heads on ceilings when we go to store something and sleeping in chairs because there are no bunk rooms.”

When complete, the new station will provide 10 apparatus bays – ample room for five SAEMS ambulances and assorted utility vehicles that have been parked outdoors for five years.

The station sis scheduled to be complete by early spring, about nine months after the start date.

“I can’t believe where we’re at,” Nehf says, “Even when I look at the pictures, I don’t believe it.”

The new headquarters building is on the site of the former University Lodge Motel, where fire destroyed the business about 10 years ago. Vigilant officials acquired the site through a purchases expedited by eminent domain proceedings launched by the Borough of Shippensburg and Cumberland County officials.

Byers says the Vigilant operation centers around roughly 45 active members and 30-35 firefighters than run calls. The company responded to more than 500 calls in 2010, with an average turnout of 9 firefighters for each call.

12/20/2011 Ship News Now Editorial Blog

2012-01-09T14:04:00.005-05:00

click here for Original Article

ShipGirl Diaries: Touring and No News Mondays

20 December 2011 No Comment

The ground around the site is really muddy. I was told the day I went actually wasn't as muddy as other. They've had some standing water around previously. (Photo by Morgan Young)

BY MORGAN YOUNG; Blogger/Staff writer

I hate Mondays. Why? The normal reason anyone ever hates Mondays, because it’s a horrible reminder that the weekend is over and won’t becoming back around for another 5 days.
From a journalistic standpoint I tend to hate Mondays because they’re bad news days. I haven’t really figured out why other than my theory that, like me, everyone wants to get Mondays over with, going directly home after work to get start preparing for – wait for it – Tuesday.
So, events aren’t attended, press releases aren’t submitted, in a nutshell nothing goes on. For some reason though on Fridays I can’t pay people not to give me news.
This Monday was no different, I pretty frantically made phone calls to find news and checked Twitter and Facebook, what I like to call Ship’s underground news channel, for anything possible to write about.
Plugin Alert: If you have a community event, news tip, or another information you think we should know, don’t hesitate to email me at myoung@shipnewsnow.com or call my office at 262-4753.
Getting away from ranting, a city girls game of sport, I wanted to tell you guys about the tour of the Shippensburg Area EMS and Vigilant Hose Company facility on Walnut Bottom Road that I took on Sunday.
First some homework, the end result of my tour is on the website. Read the article to find out the progress that’s been made there. Well, the tour was muddy and left my feet and nose cold for awhile but it was well worth it.
Kevin Nehf, vice-president of the company, and Shawn Hartsock, the EMS director of operations, showed me around. I don’t want to get into too much detail about the new facility; you can read it in the article. I do want to say that the building is huge! And has a lot of cool, environmentally friendly and cost cutting features. I think it’s going to be a great asset to the community once it’s finished.
What I really want to tell you about is the impromptu tour Mr. Hartsock gave me of the current EMS facility. While on the new facility tour Hartsock mentioned that EMS ambulances are at the moment stored outside, because they don’t have anywhere to store them at the station. This isn’t something I hadn’t heard before, but when he began explaining just how small the station was I felt like it was something I should see for myself, in the interest of journalism and whatnot.
I never had the opportunity to go by the station before and I have to say I was shocked not by the size of the building, which is actually a renovated gym underneath some rental properties, but how well EMS personnel have been able to cope with the lack of space.
Nine officers all use one cramped office. The two bunk rooms are small and because of the space issue give the occupants no privacy. Worst of all is the fact that the station has to leave some storage areas unlocked so that the tenants above them can get to the circuit breaker and whatnot, if there’s an emergency.
I never saw an emergency services building so small in Maryland. It really showed me how much the emergency agency really needs the new facility. I’m glad that the EMS personnel and members of Vigilant Hose will have some elbow room soon.
If you haven’t had the opportunity to see the station I would definitely take the time to check it out.

12/20/2011 Ship News Now Article

2012-01-09T13:58:00.003-05:00

click here for Original Article

Emergency services site progresses

20 December 2011 No Comment

BY MORGAN YOUNG; Staff writer

Crews from Brechbill and Helman build the new Vigiland Hose Company No. 1 and Shippensburg Area EMS building Monday off Walnut Bottom Road, Shippensburg. (Public Opinion, Markell DeLoatch)

Framing is up and construction continues on the new Shippensburg Area Emergency Services Building on Walnut Bottom Road, where a new station for Vigilant Hose Company and Shippensburg Area EMS will be housed.
Features will include a training area, a study room for service volunteers attending school, and a services museum where the department’s recently restored 500-pound station bell will be housed.
Shawn Hartsock, EMS director of operations, said the 30,000-square-foot building isn’t just intended to benefit the two emergency agencies.
“The goal was to have (the building) be accessible to the community. We tried to think of everything,” Hartsock said. “I bet we spent almost three years in the development stages.”
Officials hope to use the new space not only for daily operations but also to expand its community training programs and education outreach. They looked at several emergency service facilities to help them plan the design for the former site of University Lodge hotel, including the Hampton Township Fire and Rescue Department station.
“We asked them what would you do different,” Kevin Nehf, Vigilant Hose Company vice president, said. “We’re not just building for today. We only want to build it once.”
Five bays for each agency will be included in the $6.3 million facility, a welcome feature for Shippensburg EMS, which now stores its five ambulances and three emergency vehicles outdoors.
“Our vehicles take a beating,” Hartsock said. “We pay $600 a month in electric (costs) just on the heating system and the shoreline on the units. The ambulances are diesel, so they have to be warmed up. So if it’s 20 below, you (might get) a 20-below ambulance to pick up mom.”
Each of the bays in the new facility will be heated. The extra office and common space will be another welcome addition for the agency, because its building was formerly a small gym underneath some rental properties renovated to fit its needs. Nine officers use one room as their office. Most of the second floor of the new facility will house area EMS, with individual offices for personnel.
Some of the station’s storage areas are also accessible to the building’s other tenants, which Hartsock said can represent a security issue. In addition to providing more space, the new station will be more accessible, with the bays giving EMS vehicles access to Orange Street.
A gym, laundry room and several bunk areas are also features of the building.
Student volunteers would be given an opportunity to live in the individual bunk rooms if they sign a contract, promising to keeping their grades up, Nehf said. EMS personnel aren’t the only ones excited about the extra space.The fire department has had to deal with inadequate space for about two decades, Nehf said.
“No one can do anything to (help the community) in the station we have now,” Nehf said.
Builders for the project are pursuing a Silver LEED certification to verify that the building was designed with the health of the community members and environment in mind.
Environmentally friendly features include a 10,000gallon rainwater collection system that will be used for training purposes and to wash vehicles; high-efficiency HVAC systems; LED lighting with occupancy sensors; and local materials will be installed in the building, helping to reduce costs.
“Operating this station will be cheaper than operating the one we have now,” Nehf said.
Grants and gifts to a capital campaign will pay the balance of $6 million in financing that F&M Trust will provide for the project. Construction is scheduled to be finished about May. Several business and the building contractors have already pledged contributions.
Hartstock said the departments are planning to start focusing on community contributions.
—— Morgan Young can be reached at myoung@shipnewsnow.com and 262-4753, or follow her on Twitter

1/1/2012 Work Continues Through the Holidays

2012-01-01T13:00:00.003-05:00

West Side

Working on ceiling in VHC Apparatus Bay. Looking south.

Brick work done on the stairway from Fitness Room to Study.

Split face block going up on the northwest corner of the VHC Apparatus Bay.

Doorways being sealed up for winter work.

The generator is set in place.

Split face block done on west side of Ambulance Bays.

Picture taking was cut short by rain this week. Additional work done this week includes floors poured in the Storage Room, Gear Wash Room and Engineers Room on the north side of the VHC Apparatus bay. Concrete was also poured to complete the stairway in the southeast corner. Some utilities and heating vents were cut up into the second floor. And drywall was installed between the double wall of the VHC Bunk Rooms and the VHC Museum/EMS Storage Room.

12/24/2011 Bricks, Shingles and Windows

2011-12-24T10:00:00.004-05:00

East Side

South Side

West Side

Brick start to go up the stairway between the Fitness Room and Study.

The lid to the Hose Tower.

Shingling has begun.

Second floor rooms are lined off.

Second floor windows are in. This is the EMS offices.

10,000 gallon rainwater collection tank is finally in the ground.

Split face block is near complete on the west side of the Ambulance bay
and the HVAC tower is in place.

VHC Mezzanine, training wall, manhole and Secure Storage Room.

Split face on the west side of the Ambulance Bays.

The mud in the VHC Apparatus Room is gone and stone is down..

The wall for the bar in the VHC Kitchen is started.

12/18/2011 Painted Black and Final Blocks

2011-12-18T11:30:00.003-05:00

West Side

South Side

East Side

The lid to the Hose Tower.

North side rooms and mezzanine in VHC Apparatus bay.

North side of Mechanical Room.

East side of Mechanical Room.

Final split face block on west side of Ambulance bays.

West Side

Area for underground tank.

Hole for the underground rainwater collection tank.

East side of Ambulance Bay.

Elevator Shaft and Southeast Stairway.

EMS Laundry Room.

Lathe on 2nd floor roof trusses, ready for drywall.

Southeast corner.

12/11/2011 Interior Block Walls and More Roof

2011-12-11T13:00:00.007-05:00

West Side

South Side

East Side

The pads for the Generator and Cooling Tower have been poured.

Stairway from 1st floor Fitness Room to 2nd floor Study.

Storage Room above the Mezzanine and Training Wall got done this week.

Hallway from VHC living area to VHC Apparatus bay.

VHC Gear Room looking east.

Stairs are set in the southeast stairway (by the elevator).

EMS Storage room off the Ambulance Bay. To the left is the Decon Room and Laundry.

Looking across 2nd floor to the east.

Looking across EMS TV Room and Kitchen.

Elevator and Elevator Mechanical Room on the 2nd floor. Southeast stairway and 2nd floor entrance on the right.

EMS Storage room and Decon Room off the Ambulance Bay. The door is to the Laundry from the EMS living area.

Southeast stairway from the 2nd floor.

Hose Tower at the northeast corner of VHC Apparatus Bay.

Once the roof is on and the 2nd floor is in the dry, drywall will be hung on the bottom of the roof trusses and the 2nd floor interior walls can be started.

12/9/2011 Up On the Rooftop...

2011-12-08T17:30:00.001-05:00

Merry Christmas.

12/4/2011 The Roof is Getting Closer to Being Done

2011-12-04T13:00:00.002-05:00

West Side

South Side

East Side

10,000 gallon rainwater collection tank for washing apparatus and pump testing and training. This will be installed underground outside the entrance to the Under Ambo Storage area.

West side of VHC Apparatus Bay.

South side of the VHC Apparatus Bay.

Stairway between the Fitness room on the first floor and the Study on the second floor.

East side of the VHC Apparatus Bay.

North side rooms in the VHC Apparatus bay.

Main hallway in the VHC living area. Laundry and Gear room on the left and Bunkrooms on the right.

Work continues on the Hose Towet at the northeast corner of the VHC Apparatus bay.

First floor entrance on the east side. Window now cut into VHC Watch Room.

Second floor looking west. EMS Offices will be here.

Second floor looking west across EMS Bunkroom / Locker Rooms.

11/27/2011 Second Floor Trusses and Rooms

2011-11-27T13:00:00.001-05:00

West Side

East Side

South Side

Ambulance Bay

North Side

Stairway from Fitness Room to Study.

VHC Apparatus bay, north side rooms.

VHC Gear Room doorways and in-floor heating controls.

Elecrical panels in hallway from VHC Apparatus Bay to VHC living area.

Storage room in VHC Laundry room.

Southeast corner of Multipurpose Room.

Southwest corner of Multipurpose Room.

Outside Northeast corner of Multipurpose Room.

Wall between Under Ambo Storage and Fitness Room.

Second floor looking south across EMS Bunkrooms and Offices.

Looking west across EMS Bunkrooms into TV Room / Kitchen in right corner.

VHC Offices, Conference Room and IT Room.

Looking across EMS Offices to VHC Offices in back left, Conference Room and IT Room center and Elevator and Stairway right.

Ambulance Bays.

Looking east across the Ambulance Bays.

Ambulance Bays.

11/20/2011 2nd Floor Roof, 1st Floor Walls

2011-11-20T16:00:00.035-05:00

View from the west.

View from the east.

Second floor from the Orange Street entrance.

West entrance into VHC Apparatus bays.

Work continues on the stairway from the Fitness Room and the Study.

Northside rooms in VHC Apparatus Room.

VHC Kitchen. Refrigerators on the left, range and sink/dishwasher on right wall.

VHC TV Room. Hallway to the left to Locker Rooms.

Fitness Room wall is complete.

VHC General Bunkroom.

VHC Individual Bunkroom hallway. The end of the hallway looks through the Gear Room into the Apparatus bay.

VHC back hallway looking into the elevator.

Back doors into the Multipurpose Room.

Museum from the first floor entrance.

First floor entrance.

Second floor entrance.

EMS Ambulance bays.

Looking across EMS Bunkrooms from second floor entrance.

VHC Chief's Office left, VHC President's Office right.

Elevator and Conference room on the second floor.

Orange Street EMS Offices.

EMS Storage room, Decon Room ansd EMS Junior Area doors from Ambulance bays.

EMS TV Room and Kitchen. Door is to the Study hallway to the stairway.

South side of the VHC Apparatus bays.

EMS Juniors area, Decon Room and storage doors from Ambulance Bays.

11/13/2011 1st Floor Interior Walls Taking Shape

2011-11-13T14:00:00.002-05:00

West wall of the EMS living area.

Inside west wall of VHC Apparatus bay.

VHC offices right (doorway to VHC Apparatus Bay) corner (center picture) is the EMS Kitchen. Looking across EMS Bunkrooms.

East elevation from Orange Street corner. Double man doors are into the Multipurpose Room.

Museum is to my left foreground, man lift is in one of the VHC Bunkrooms. Right back is VHC Gear Room, right foreground is VHC Watch Room.

Shower units waiting for installation.

Interior door frames awaiting installation.

Door to the Men's Room by the Multipurpose Room.

EMS Ambulance Bays (west wall).

VHC Apparatus Bay from the second floor VHC Chief's office.

Straight ahead is the stairway and elevator. Moving left is the IT Room in front of the Conference Room and VHC Offices. To the right is EMS Bunk Rooms.

On the left is the Orange Street wall of EMS Offices. EMS Bunkrooms in the fore ground, along the right wall is EMS living area.

11/7/2011 SESB on YouTube

2011-11-12T21:42:00.000-05:00

I found this video on YouTube of a guy paragliding over Shippensburg. Here's a screenshot from it and a link to view it all.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AtBXf8Z-eZA

Thanks to 3literZ3 for the view.

11/6/2011 Perspectives

2011-11-10T12:01:00.019-05:00

I thought today I'd throw in some pictures I took on Sunday showing the relationship of the building with the surrounding community. I hope this gives you a better image of where and how it sits and it's overall size.

Looking north on Charles Street. The alley that always ran beside the Lodge will still be there, only wider and not so steep.

From the Orange Street / Walnut Bottom Road point looking west on W.B. road.

From the Orange Street / W.B. Road point looking up Orange Street.

Fom Route 11 looking south across H+H's car lot.

Looking down W.B. Road from near the Swid Brothers, Fisher's Florist property line.

11/6/2011 More Roof Trusses/More Second Floor

2011-11-06T10:00:00.026-05:00

Finally the Ambulance Bays are starting to take shape.

View from the West Side.

West side of VHC Apparatus bays.

Looking east across the VHC Apparatus Bays.

Looking south across the VHC Apparatus bays.

Second floor walls are going up. Looking south at first floor main entrance.

Looking north across the VHC Apparatus Bays from the second floor.

Looking southeast across the second floor. VHC Chief's office in the left corner.

Looking North across the second floor. Mostly EMS, VHC Offices along wall with door and windows.

Looking across the inside Orange Street face, across the EMS Offices.

Looking north across the second floor. EMS TV Room/Kitchen in the ahead corner.

Ambulance bays back wall and west wall going up. Concrete plank is the section over the Under Ambo Storage area.

Looking east across the Ambulance Bays.

Southwest corner of the Ambulance bays.

The west wall of the Ambulance Bays.

VHC Watch Room on first floor.

VHC Laundry room on first floor.

Back wall of Ambulance Bays and entrance to the Under Ambo Storage area.

11/2/2011 Roof Trusses and the Second Floor

2011-11-02T17:00:00.002-04:00

VHC Apparatus Bay from 2nd floor doorway.

The 2nd floor is poured and some of the outside walls are up.

The south wall of the VHC Apparatus bay is up.

The north wall of the Multipurpose Room, the 1st floor Vestibule and the VHC Watch Room are closed in.

VHC Watch Room.

Door to VHC Apparatus Bay, door to restroom, door to laundry and door to Gear Room from VHC TV Room.

Not much new in the Under Ambo Storage area.

Looking out over the VHC Living area from the VHC Kitchen.

Outside the Under Ambo Storage area.

East face of VHC Apparatus Bay, looking north.

east side of the Multipurpose Room.

Second floor was poured last Friday, Backfilling continues and the outside walls are starting to go up.

Outside walls on the Orange Street side. These are EMS office windows.

The footer for the Ambo Bays was poured today.

Doorway from Study to stairway to the Fitness Room.

Looking across EMS living area to doorway and window from VHC Offices to VHC Apparatus bay.

Construction site.

Second floor. Conference room on my left, Elevator shaft and stairway center.

East Side of VHC Apparatus Bays from 2nd floor.

Elevator Shaft.

Generator retaining wall.

10/25/2011 Getting Ready for the Second Floor

2011-10-25T17:30:00.028-04:00

Second floor decking is down and waiting for concrete.

Northwest corner of VHC Apparatus Bay.

Northeast corner of VHC Apparatus Bay.

East side of VHC Apparatus bay.

First floor looking southwest, Vestibule is on the right.

Outside of Multipurpose Room, ready for backfill.

Orange Street side. backfill has begun.

More backfilling on the Orange Street side.

West side of VHC Apparatus Bays, looking northeast.

VHC Gear Room on the left, Watch Room center and Vestibule right.

Stairway in southeast corner, Elevator is in the center of the picture.

Southeast Stairway right, Elevator center, Storage behind elevator and Multipurpose Room left.

10/23/2011 Second Floor Starting to Take Shape.

2011-10-23T15:00:00.006-04:00

Steel set for the second floor. Viewed from the VHC Living Area looking east.

This is the east side of the Apparatus Bay. This is what you will see driving towards town on Walnut Bottom Road. It is also the reason most of the pictures are from the west side.

Northwest corner of the VHC Apparatus Bay.

Southeast corner of the VHC Apparatus bay.

Multipurpose Room is straight ahead, first window is in first floor Vestibule, second window is VHC Watch Room.

Multipurpose Room, looking towards Orange Street.

Looking in the first floor Vestibule.

VHC Gear Room.

Under Ambo Storage. Walls are braced for backfill.

Wall bracing in Fitness Room.

West side of VHC Apparatus Bays.

Electric Box. Located on Orange Street between the EMS ramp and the Alley.

Orange Street side, with wrap around for backfilling.

From Orange Street looking north, door and windows from VHC offices into VHC Apparatus Room.

North side rooms are ready for concrete. This is the VHC Gear Wash Room.

Northeast corner of VHC Apparatus Bay, looking at Hose Tower are from the Mezzanine.

Looking south across the VHC Apparatus Bay from the Mezzanine.

10/18/2011 More Floors

2011-10-18T17:30:00.001-04:00

Heating is set in the Gear Room and ready for concrete.

Most of the VHC Living Area had the floors poured yesterday.

Looking east towards the Orange Street and Walnut Bottom Road intersection.

Floors in the VHC Living area looking towards town.

In floor heating in the Gear Room.

The VHC Watch Room is where the pallets of block are sitting.

Looking south across the VHC Apparatus bay.

Sample boards look like they are done

Back doors into the VHC Apparatus Bays.

10/16/2011 The Walls Continue Going Up

2011-10-16T14:00:00.000-04:00

VHC Apparatus Bay looking towards Orange Street.

VHC Living area looking towards intersection of Orange and Walnut Bottom Road.

Looking east across the VHC living area.

West entrance/exit off Walnut Bottom Road.

Under Ambo Storage area.

Northside rooms across VHC Apparatus Bay.

South wall of VHC Apparatus bay. Doors to Gear Room.

Looking north across the VHC living area. Gear room doors to Apparatus bay.

Northeast corner elevator pit.

Looking west along the south wall. Women's Room, Men's Room, VHC Men's Locker/Shower Room, VHC Women's Locker/Shower Room.

Front right is the VHC Vestibule, next is the Watch Room and next is Gear Room.

Back Ambo Bay. 2 of 3 back bays, SA-EMS Gear Room and Study Area.

Looking down on VHC Restroom, Laundry and Gear Room.

Mechanical Room. Orange Street is towards top.

Looking north across VHC Apparatus bays.

VHC Back parking lot, Town Side.

Start of sample wall. Shows the 4x16 ground face bricks, Split face and red brick being used. See the renditions where.

10/13/2011 Site Plan

2011-10-13T08:12:00.000-04:00

Finally, I am posting the site plan that Carl Bert & Associates provided. This should help give everybody a better image of how the building sits on the property.

10/12/2011 Floor Plans

2011-10-12T15:34:00.000-04:00

These floor plans should give you an idea of the layout. These are from Novemeber of last year and there have only been minor changes. If I find newer plans I'll repost them. Any questions? Just leave a comment. Remember these are labeled "Plans" so you can find them by clicking the Plans label on the side bar. For now, though, click the picture and they get bigger.

10/9/2011 More Walls, Concrete Planks and a Concrete Floor

2011-10-09T15:00:00.062-04:00

In addition to these pictures I have added the Artist Renderings to the bottom of the page, including a view of the west side.

Panorama of the west side (town side)

Orange Street side. Concrete planks have been set over the Under Ambo Storage area. On top this will be three EMS bays, EMS Gear Room and the Study.

North side rooms. Open Storage, Storage, Gear Wash Room, Engineers Room and Hose Tower.

Walnut Bottom Road East, Exit only. Note how close the pole is.

Walnut Bottom Road West entrance/exit.

Walnut Bottom Road west entrance/exit.

Walnut Bottom road west entrance/exit. Some of the concrete drive is poured.

West side of VHC Apparatus bays. The doors are starting to go up.

Under Ambo Storage.

South side of VHC Apparatus Bay. This is the wall to the Gear Room.

MultiPurpose Room.

VHC Gear Room. Through those doors is the Apparatus bay.

VHC Living area and bunk area. Shower/Locker Rooms along back wall (left).

Elevator shaft. Stairwell behind it (right).

Mechanical Room.

Far left is the hallway to Apparatus Bay, next is a restroom and right is the VHC Laundry room. Taken from hallway, Kitchen/TV Room is behind me.

Another view of the VHC Gear Room looking towards the Apparatus Bay. Towards where I'm standing and across the hall from the Gear Room doors will be the doorways to the Bunk Rooms.

Under Ambo Storage area. Fitness Room is to the left. There is a concrete plank ceiling and a concrete floor now.

Under Ambo Storage area, this is the Electrical Room.

Under Ambo Storage area, again. Fitness room is at the far end toward VHC living area.

West side looking northeast. Shows VHC Apparatus doors.

Outside west corner of Under Ambo Storage. Generator will sit right here.

Walnut Bottom Road east exit only. Note pole on left side.

Training hatch from Mezzanine to VHC north side Storage Room. When open this hatch can be used for rope rescue training.

Open Storage at north side of VHC Apparatus Bay. Concrete planks have been set on the Mezzanine. There will be a Storage Room built on this side of the Mezzanine.

10/2/2011 More Blocks, More Plumbing, More Rain

2011-10-02T15:00:00.004-04:00

This is the north side of the VHC Apparatus Bay. This week they set the steel above the open storage area. The rooms beside that, left to right, are Storage Room, Gear Wash Room, Engineer's Room and Hose Tower. There will be a mezzanine above all of these (except the Hose Tower) with a small storage room on the west (left) side of the Mezzanine. To the left side of the picture is the second bay door opening.

North side rooms again.

Looking out of the Hose Tower.

Looking at the east side of the VHC Apparatus Bays. Only the first two bay doors are visible.

Looking across the VHC Apparatus Bays to the VHC Living Areas.

On the bottom left of this picture is the 'Back' door to the VHC. Looking straight ahead would be a hallway, Restroom, Laundry and Gear Room.

VHC Kitchen and TV Room. Across the long wall will be the Women's and Men's Showers/ Locker Rooms and Men's and Women's Restrooms for the MultiPurpose Rooms.

Looking across the VHC Kitchen, other side of the wall is the Fitness room, beyond that is the Under Ambo Storage Area. Starting to see the door to the Pantry (right side short wall).

Multipurpose Room. I'm standing near the VHC Watch Room.

Outside the Under Ambo Storage Area.

8/12/2002 The University Lodge Burns

2011-10-01T12:01:00.007-04:00

Shippensburg Sentinel article 8/14/2002

News-Chronicle article 8/16/2002

Remember, if you click these articles you can read them better.

9/30/2011 Building Renditions

2011-09-30T13:16:00.002-04:00

Finally. Here is the archetects renderings of the building so you can better visualize the building process. The SA-EMS is facing Orange Street and the VHC is viewed as you approach it on Walnut Bottom Road driving towards town. I will get the floor plans up next week. I labeled these "Plans" so at any time just click on the plans label in the sidebar to bring this post up. Remember click these pictures and they get bigger.

The RED is standard brick (4" x 8"). The WHITE is split-face block (8" x 16"). There is two different shades of the white split-face, you can see this at the second floor line (but not so much in these renditions). There is also ground-face bricks (4" x 16" bricks that have been ground smooth) at ground level of the building below the window line on the Orange Street side and around the base of the hose tower and face of the building on the Walnut Bottom Road side.

9/25/2011 It's Starting to Look Like Something

2011-09-25T11:30:00.073-04:00

Picture from the northwest looking east.

From the west looking east through the VHC Apparatus Bays.

Looking south at the Under Ambo Storage area.

Looking southeast across VHC living area. Vertical support footers have been poured.

Looking north into VHC Storage, Gear Wash room, Engineers room and Hose Tower. There will be a mezzanine over these rooms.

Trench drain at VHC entrance off Walnut Bottom Road.

Northeast corner of VHC Apparatus Bay.

Looking northeast into north end of VHC Apparatus Bay.

Bollards are set on west side of VHC Apparatus Bays.

Under Ambo Storage and Electrical Room.

Looking north along west face of VHC Apparatus Bay. Bollards on either side of bay doors.

VHC Gear Wash Room, door frame and grease separator in place.

Looking northwest across VHC Apparatus Bay.

Exterior of Multipurpose Room. Doorway and window set.

Orange Street side, southeast corner, not much new out here yet.

Orange Street side, southwest corner, not much new here either.

Northwest corner of Under Ambo Storage, shows man door and garage door. Block footer in front is for retaining wall to block generator.

Southeast corner, inside. Multipurpose Room on the left, Stairwell on the right and Elevator pit in the center.

Inside north face of Under Ambo Storage area, fitness room to the left.

To answer some questions, both asked and unasked, all pictures can be enlarged by simply double clicking them. Panoramas will show some distortion on the edges (don't think the walls are crooked). I know it seems that most pictures show VHC areas, and they do, all of EMS is upstairs and once work begins up there you will see pictures of those areas. And finally, yes, I am taking more pictures than you see here (usually between 60 and 100 every week). I am trying to get pictures of how things are built, how pipes are laid underground and multiple views of most rooms and the building itself. And finally (again finally) feel free to leave comments or questions in the comment section (just sign it with a name) and I will respond or get a response.

9/18/2011 The Walls are Getting Higher

2011-09-18T10:00:00.030-04:00

Trench drain at VHC entrance off of Walnut Bottom Road.

Hose Tower, Engineers Room, Gear Wash Room and Storage at end of VHC Apparatus bay.

Hose tower.

Looking southeast across VHC Apparatus bay.

Looking north across Apparatus bay.

Inside of west Apparatus Bay Wall. You can see the appartaus doors.

Stairway from Fitness Room to Study and Fitness Room on left.

Looking west across VHC Living Area, Fitness Room and into Under Ambo Storage.

Mechanical Room.

Looking east into MultiPurpose Room.

Looking North across entire building.

Looking north at inside wall of Under Ambo Storage.

Electrical Room and outdoor area for Generator.

9/13/2011 Vigilant Remove the Bell from the Municipal Building

2011-09-13T11:30:00.002-04:00

On Tuesday September 13th crews from Brechbill and Helman (our General Contractor at the new station) started the task of removing the bell from the cupola of the Municipal Building where it has served the Vigilant Hose Company since the building was built in 1928. Prior to that the bell was a fixture in the Council House since being installed there April 1st, 1884. The bell is dated by the manufacturer, Henry McShane in Baltimore in 1884. Also on the opposite side it the inscription, "Vigilant Fire Co. Organized Feby 22d, 1843. The bell will be restored over the winter to be placed on display in the new Shippensburg Emergency Services Building currently under construction.

SHIP NEWS NOW Article, click here.

9/11/2011 Construction Continues Through the Rainy Season

2011-09-11T13:30:00.001-04:00

Back entrance to VHC

Storm water pond along Walnut Bottom Road between drives.

Northwest corner of VHC Apparatus Bay. Starting to see the man door and bay doors now.

West side of Apparatus Bay. Bay doors and man door into VHC living area.

Mechanical Room in Under Ambulance Bay Storage.

Stairway between Fitness Room and Study.

Man door into VHC living area (to the right).

Front wall of Under Ambulance Bay Storage.

Orange Street side.

East side of Mutipurpose Room.

Inside of Multipurpose Room.

VHC Bunkrooms and Living area

9/11/2011 Vigilants Ring their Bell One Last Time

2011-09-11T08:46:00.008-04:00

These pictures and video are part of what Shippensburg did on 9/11/2011. At 8:46 AM church bells rang along with the fire company bell. The bell at the Vigilant Hose Co. hasn't rung in years. Saturday evening the clanger was restrung with new rope so it would work again, one last time. Next spring it will be in the new Shippensburg Emergency Services Building.

9/3/2011 Walls Continue Going Up

2011-09-03T10:05:00.044-04:00

Footer for the trench drain. Entrance to the rear parking lot.

Northwest corner of VHC Apparatus bay.

Storage Room, Gear Wash Room and Engineer's Room north side of VHC Apparatus Bay.

Footer for the Hose Tower. Northeast corner of VHC Apparatus bay.

Multi-Purpose Room. Southeast corner of building.

VHC Gear Room. Living quarters are to the left, Apparatus Bay is to the right.

VHC Restroom, Laundry and Gear Room.

Fitness Room and Storage Area under Ambulance Bays.

Outside of Multi-Purpose Room showing the final slope of the ground.

Orange Street face of building from southeast corner.

Outside Generator area and Utility Room and under Ambulance Bay Storage Area.

Trench drain at FD exit to Walnut Bottom Road.

Shippensburg Emergency Services Building

3/3/2012 Epoxy Floors, VHC Exhaust & EMS Paint

2/25/2012 EMS Bays Doors, 2nd Floor Paint & Arches

2/19/2012 Arches, Study and Ceiling Grid

2/12/2012 Paint, Ambo Floor and More Bricks

2/4/2012 FD Bay Doors, EMS Bays Ready for Concrete

1/28/2012 Concrete in VHC Apparatus Bays, More 2nd Floor Walls

1/21/2012 Second Floor Walls! Second Floor Walls!

1/15/2012 , Bay Floors 2nd Floor Ceiling and Finish Block

1/8/2012 More Blocks and Drywall Soon

1/9/2012 News Chronicle Article

click here for Original Article

Construction progress is rapid at new fire, ambulance center

Vigilant building chairman ‘can’t believe’ development pace

By DALE HEBERLIGManaging Editor

12/20/2011 Ship News Now Editorial Blog

12/20/2011 Ship News Now Article

click here for Original Article

1/1/2012 Work Continues Through the Holidays

12/24/2011 Bricks, Shingles and Windows

12/18/2011 Painted Black and Final Blocks

12/11/2011 Interior Block Walls and More Roof

12/9/2011 Up On the Rooftop...

12/4/2011 The Roof is Getting Closer to Being Done

11/27/2011 Second Floor Trusses and Rooms

11/20/2011 2nd Floor Roof, 1st Floor Walls

11/13/2011 1st Floor Interior Walls Taking Shape

11/7/2011 SESB on YouTube

11/6/2011 Perspectives

11/6/2011 More Roof Trusses/More Second Floor

11/2/2011 Roof Trusses and the Second Floor

10/25/2011 Getting Ready for the Second Floor

10/23/2011 Second Floor Starting to Take Shape.

10/18/2011 More Floors

10/16/2011 The Walls Continue Going Up

10/13/2011 Site Plan

10/12/2011 Floor Plans

10/9/2011 More Walls, Concrete Planks and a Concrete Floor

10/2/2011 More Blocks, More Plumbing, More Rain

8/12/2002 The University Lodge Burns

9/30/2011 Building Renditions

9/25/2011 It's Starting to Look Like Something

9/18/2011 The Walls are Getting Higher

9/13/2011 Vigilant Remove the Bell from the Municipal Building

9/11/2011 Construction Continues Through the Rainy Season

9/11/2011 Vigilants Ring their Bell One Last Time

9/3/2011 Walls Continue Going Up

By DALE HEBERLIG
Managing Editor