CARIBOU, Maine — The Aroostook County Emergency Management Agency may get a facelift later this year. EMA Director Darren Woods plans to add an addition to the Sweden Street building, which will give the agency much needed space.
Administrative assistant and planning associate Joyce Findlen’s office is pulling double duty as the agency’s emergency operation center. Woods said meetings are held in her office which interferes with her work.
“What I want to do is build another office so I can get her moved out of the EOC,” Woods said.
Along with new office space for Findlen, Woods plans to include more storage space, and a training room.
All of the work will be done in phases Woods said. Phase one will be to make an adjustment to a small radio tower attached to the building, about a 20-foot move. Phase two will be to complete the exterior of the addition, and phase three will be to complete the interior work.
“The reason for phases is due to the funding,” Woods said. “The cost will be grant funded and I already have preliminary funding approved as well. I don’t want to have to go to the commissioners and the taxpayers to ask them for funding. I’m doing it in phases so that I can pay as I go and I will not have to ask additional funding.”
Woods received approval for his three-phase project by County Commissioners at their April 14 meeting in Fort Kent.
“I have had prelim talks with the city of Caribou, also with the state fire marshal’s office, and everybody seems to be on board with the concept,” Woods said. “Next step is to get a set of official plans drawn up and we’ll go out to bid.”
Woods would like to see phases one and two of the project be complete by the end of this year. “That will depend on permits and funding,” Woods said.
The additional training space will allow Woods and the local Emergency Planning Committee, Incident Management Teams, and local EMA directors to meet at one place rather than be spread out or have to rely on training at the Caribou courthouse.
“It’s all about making sure the work gets done, The County is taken care of, and that we’re fiscally frugal,” Woods said. “We want to make sure that we take good care of the taxpayers’ funds.”
