The process for obtaining bids for the renovations of Turkey Creek Fire Territory Station 1 continues. Chief Mickey Scott recently provided an update on the status to the TCFT Board.

Scott has met with an architect to obtain architectural drawings to be submitted for bids at a later date. The architect will also be submitting a construction design release to the state, as required, and the architectural drawings are expected to be complete at the end of the month. Scott said he thought sprinklers would be required for the building.

The common construction wage hearing was held April 15 and Scott met with the Kosciusko County Area Planning Commission on a variance hearing last week. The project is expected to be put out to bid in May.

Testing was also done on the outdoor warning sirens in the township on April 6. One siren failed to operate on battery backup. That siren did, however, operate with electrical service provided.

Sirens are tested at noon the first Saturday each month. Scott explained in his report the department alternates each month between operations with electrical service and operations with battery backup. The sirens have a battery backup capable of operating the sirens for 20 minutes without electrical service.

The department is working with J & K Communications on getting an estimated cost for the repairs to the siren that failed.

In the financial report Scott noted the territory is a quarter of the way through its budget for the year, except for administrative services, which is 73 percent spent. Board member Brian Woody asked why three-fourths of the administrative services budget was spent. Scott explained it was used to hire an attorney from Fort Wayne to handle the labor contract with the union.