Clay Center approves extraction cutters, heated driveway for fire station

Last night the Clay Center City Council approved a couple of items for the Clay Center Fire Department, including new cutters for vehicle extraction (commonly known as the jaws for life) and a system to heat the concrete driveway in front of the fire station at Fifth Street and Grant Avenue.

In a committee meeting before the council meeting, council members heard a report from Fire Chief John Ihnen, who reported that the extraction tools that firefighters currently use are 25 years old.

The council received only one bid that meet their qualification. The cost to replace the cutter is $10,971, which was approved by the council last night. Replacing the tools was an item budgeted for by the city this year and they will be paid with funds out of the fire department’s budget. The council approved a heating system for a new driveway for the station to be poured at the same time new curb and guttering is poured for street improvements downtown. Vogts Parga has already started that by pouring new curb and gutter and will also pour the concrete for the fire station’s new driveway.