Erickson-Hall given NCFPD Station 3 construction management contract

Joe Naiman

Village News Reporter

Erickson-Hall Construction has been awarded the NCFPD construction management services contract for the renovation of NCFPD Station 3 in Rainbow.

The NCFPD board voted 4-0 May 24, with David Kennedy absent, to award Erickson-Hall a contract for construction management services to renovate Station 3. The total contract amount of $395,340 includes a $500,000 reprographic expense allowance, so what the fire district actually pays the Escondido-based company may be slightly lower than the authorized amount.

The North County Fire Protection District was created in 1986 when the Fallbrook Fire Protection District merged with the county service area which provided fire protection to Rainbow and Gavilan Mountain was added to the new district. The Rainbow Volunteer Fire Department retained its autonomy, and the Rainbow fire station became NCFPD Station 6. The station was renamed Station 3 in 2018 when the original Station 3 in Olive Hill was closed due to the relocation of Station 5 in Bonsall. The Rainbow Volunteer Fire Department was consolidated into the North County Fire Protection District in 2018.

What is now Station 3 was built in the 1970s. Because the Rainbow fire station utilized a volunteer fire department, living quarters were not incorporated into the design. In February 2021, the NCFPD board authorized up to $425,000 for the purchase, construction, and installation of a modular building which would be used for crew living quarters. The plan was for the modular building to be the first phase of the upgrade and an extensive remodel of the existing facility to be the second phase. The existing fire station would remain and be used for such functions as storage, laundry facilities, and an exercise and a fitness area. A modular building currently on the site which has been used as a training facility would be removed.

The February 2021 decision was made prior to the allocation of $900,000 for Station 3 in the 2021-22 state budget. State Assemblywoman Marie Waldron presented a $900,000 check to the fire district at the Dec. 14 NCFPD board meeting. The county is also applying for $494,000 of American Rescue Plan Act funding for Station 3 upgrades. The funding will allow for a conventional construction remodel of Station 3.

The $621,600 estimated expense to renovate 777 square feet is the same for both the modular option and the conventional construction scenario as is the $300,000 fee allowance and the $80,000 budgeted cost for fire station alerting equipment. Modular living quarters have a $450,000 cost estimate while adding 1,740 square feet to the current station has an estimated cost of $1,740,000. Including contingency and incidental costs the total budget for the modular alternative is $1,566,760 while the conventional construction total cost is estimated at $2,985,760. The lifespan of a modular building is approximately 20 years while the lifespan of conventional construction is generally 50 years.

The fire district budgeted $425,000 for the modular building, so that funding would be available for conventional construction. Property tax revenue for Rainbow would allow $1,655,193 to be used for the Station 3 upgrade, so with the state and American Rescue Plan Act funding the fire district would have $3,474,193 available. A 5-0 NCFPD board vote January 25 recommended conventional construction rather than a modular building for the Station 3 upgrade.

The Jan. 25 vote also authorized NCFPD staff to hire a construction management company to oversee the design-build process for the Station 3 renovation. A Request for Proposals was issued, and Erickson-Hall was the lowest responsive bidder.

“They do great work. They’re fantastic to work with,” McReynolds said.

The Erickson-Hall scope of work included three phases. The planning phase will involve the request for statements of qualifications for the construction contract, the request for proposals, and the preparation and selection of a design team; Erickson-Hall will be paid $59,180 for that phase. The pre-construction phase will be for construction management design services and will account for $120,560 of the total contract. The construction phase will involve project oversight, and Erickson-Hall will receive $210,600 for that phase.