The Riverside Fire Authority stations on North Pearl Avenue and Harrison Avenue will each receive new heating and cooling systems thanks to a $300,000 grant awarded by the Centralia Coal Transition Grants Weatherization Board.
New hot water equipment will also be installed in both stations, replacing systems that have become antiquated and unreliable. Chief Mike Kytta said Tuesday that the upgrades will benefit both fire department staff and the general public. He hopes to have work at both stations completed by the end of this year.
“Not only do we use them for our own personnel, but also to serve the community,” Kytta said. “That’s part of the reason we’re so thrilled to have this occurring now. It will certainly make things better for us to serve as a cooling station in the summer, a heating station in the winter, and as a place to relocate citizens to in the event of a disaster. For things of that nature, it’s just going to open up a lot of opportunities for us to better serve the community.”