521 South Vermont Avenue
PO Box 12
Platte, SD 57369
*(605) 337-2347
*NOTE: Station is not staffed, please leave voice mail if no answer
The fire station building was constructed in 1990 and in 2006 a large addition was completed. The original structure was 100' x 60' and contains 2 half deep bays (occupied by the Platte Ambulance Association), 4 full depth bays, meeting/training room, bathrooms and a small kitchen area. The 2006 addition consisted of a 90' x 80' extension on the east of the existing building. This addition is shared with the City of Platte Public Works Department, and the two uses are separated by a partition wall. The fire department occupies 90' x 50' of the addition and the City Public Works Department occupies 90' x 30'. There are 4 50' deep bays for fire department use as well as an overhead door on the east end of the building with additional apparatus space. The city has 4 30' deep bays. In short there is 10,500 square feet of space for use by the Ambulance and Fire Service and 2,700 square feet of space for use by the City. The additional space has proven very beneficial and made apparatus maintenance a much simpler task, allows for indoor training during enclement weather and in general has provided an increased level of safety while working around the station and much better organization.
The meeting room area has office space for administration, computer, television, VCR/DVD player, multimedia projector, overhead projector, tables and chairs for roughly 35 people. There is a small kitchen area with stove, microwave and refrigerator and men's/women's restrooms. The apparatus bay houses 2 ambulances for the Platte Ambulance Service and 9 Fire Department apparatus. Also located in the apparatus bay are pressure washer, washing machine, ice machine, workbench/maintenance area, tool storage, spare equipment storage, supply storage, base station radio and turnout gear storage. The department's breathing air compressor and fill station are also located in the apparatus bay. The building has an AC transfer switch which allows the entire building to be powered by a generator in the event of long term commercial power failure. The fire department acquired a surplus military diesel powered generator through the FEPP Rural Fire Assistance Program for virtually no cost. We also store roughly 20 military cots so the building can be used as a temporary short-term shelter if needed.
The turnout gear storage racks shown below were built by members of the department with significant help from a local manufacturing firm, Meyrink Farm Service. We were able to build these racks and place them in service for less than half the cost of ordering them from a catalog.
