Baldwin, Wied highlight $5 Million for Green Bay Metro Fire Department

GREEN BAY – U. S. Senator Tammy Baldwin and Congressman Tony Wied joined Green Bay Mayor Eric Genrich and Green Bay Metro Fire Department (GBMFD) Interim Chief Eric Jeltema last week to highlight the $5 million recently secured in federal government funding for the construction of a new, state-of-the-art fire station.

“It’s no secret that Congressman Wied and I don’t always agree on everything, but this kind of project is what happens when we put the people that we represent ahead of politics and we work together to get something done for the community,” said Baldwin on the bipartisan support the project received. “Our firefighters do not think about political party when they are heading into harm’s way to head to the rescue. Backing our firefighters should never be a partisan issue either.”

“Too often, we’ve seen politicians in Washington argue over funding bulls and rely on continuing resolutions that push community funding projects aside in the process…” Wied said. “We work hard for our money and we deserve our tax dollars to go towards infrastructure projects that improve our quality of life right here. I can’t think of a better use of our taxpayer dollars than ensuring our first responders here in Green Bay have the very best tools at their disposal to keep our families safe in an emergency.”

“It makes a huge difference to have a senator and to have a congressman fighting for us everyday in Green Bay,” Genrich said. “This is a great example of what’s possible when they come together and advocate for us… We’ve had so many issues here at Fire Station 3, so we’re all looking forward to combining this with those operations and having a 21st-century facility that does right by the men and women of the Green Bay Metro Fire Department.”
The new fire station will replace a roughly 100-year-old building that is no longer able to keep up with the needs of the GBMFD.

“Station 3 has a lot of character, but it’s outdated for the work we do. We look forward to having a new facility…” Jeltema said. “The funding allows the department to move forward and ensure safe, modern facilities. The new station will improve our operational efficiency and long-term sustainability, incorporate modern technology and energy efficient systems. It will have durable construction to reduce maintenance costs over time and it is designed to accommodate larger, more modern apparatus… We will also be able to ensure faster, more effective emergency response with the new station through the way it’s designed to get us to the rig faster. And there’s health and safety aspects. It’s a major investment in health and safety to have dedicated decontamination areas to keep toxic gear separate from the living spaces and enhanced ventilation and air filtration systems which help reduce long-term cancer risks associated with firefighting.”