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Polar Plunge
The Chamber of Commerance and the OVRS have teamed up once again to hold our annual polar plunge February 18 2012
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- How much did it cost?
- Where did this money come from?
- Why this location? Where else did you look?
- Why do you need a new building?
- What will the new building cost?
- How do you plan to pay for a new building?
- When do you plan to move? What is the next step?
- How can I help?
The OVRS paid $250,000.00 for 25 acres of land located just outside the city across from the cemetery on Route 812.
Since 1981 several members of the community have remembered us through planned giving and bequests. In the early 1990's, the Board of Directors made the decision to place all of these gifts into an endowment fund to ensure the future of the OVRS. Since that time all income and interest from this endowment fund have been reinvested with an eye to the future. The OVRS membership and Board of Directors felt that the time was right to make this purchase for our future.
The OVRS has been looking for a suitable location for a new building for the past 6 years. During that time we have looked at over 20 parcels of land both within and near the city. We felt that we needed 2 - 3 acres of land to erect a building, and provide for parking and future expansion. During the past two years, we have made an offer on three other pieces of land, two within the city and one near the city line. All of these properties had potential problems with pollution. The offers were withdrawn when the present owners wanted the OVRS to assume all costs related to testing and clean up of any pollution found. Some sites were rejected as being to expensive. Other sites were rejected as being too small, or not being in a suitable location for emergency vehicle response and ease of access by our volunteers. We feel that this location provides safe, quick response routes for our volunteers and emergency vehicles. We do not expect any significant increases in response times to medical emergencies. When we inquired about possibly acquiring land owned or controlled by the City of Ogdensburg, we were told that there was no suitable place for the OVRS within the city. We were able to purchase 25 acres of land very close to the city for just a little more money than we would have paid for 2 - 4 acres within the city. We anticipate that we will be able to sell a portion of the new property to help offset the cost.
We have simply out grown our current building. The 1970s, when the current building was being planned and built, was a much different time for the emergency medical services in and around Ogdensburg. At that time the membership did not anticipate a time when there would be female volunteer members and employees. No one anticipated the drastic increase in call volume that has occurred. No one anticipated the increase in size of emergency vehicles. No one anticipated the changes in New York State Department of Health and OSHA regulation over emergency medical services. The following are just a few of the problems with our current building that we hope to correct with a new facility. 1) Lack of adequate garage space for our vehicles. The bays are too small to provide safe distances between walls, doors, etc. and the vehicles. We do not have enough space to house our current fleet of vehicles. 2) Inadequate storage space for equipment and supplies. 3) Inadequate decontamination, cleaning, and laundry facilities. 4) Inadequate bunkrooms, locker rooms, bathrooms, and shower facilities for male and female staff members. 5) Inadequate office space for proper administration of the the OVRS. 6) Inadequate meeting, training, and public event rooms and facilities. 7) Inadequate parking for volunteers, employees, and visitors.
We anticipate that the new facility will cost approximately $2,750,000.00 to construct.
The new building will require a major community wide fund raising drive similar to the one conducted for the current building in the 1970s.
As of January 11th 2012 we are currently seeking funding options from the USDA and local banking . We are looking at the former Hacketts property in the City of Ogdensburg.
Donations can be made at any time. Any donation earmarked for the new building will be used only for that purpose. Once the building fund drive begins, donate generously to support the OVRS. Consider leaving a legacy to the OVRS through bequest or a program of planned giving. Join the OVRS as a volunteer.
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