POTTER – The Potter Volunteer Fire Department is working to centralize its assets. 

The Potter VFD has equipment stored northwest of Sidney at Adams Industries, the old Sioux Army Depot, and at a former gas station in Potter, in addition to the main fire house. They are  adding about 9,900 square feet to their Potter presence. 

Bob Hilpert, representing the fire department, explained the concept of the new building. 

“What it is, it’s going to be a 9,900 square foot building. It’s six bays and, a lot of people, the biggest question is ‘why are you doing that?’ We have 13 pieces of equipment, and one more coming, and we only have room for eight in here,” he said at the current fire hall. 

He said the Department had firefighters who lived near Adams Industries on Cheyenne County Road 32. With people working there, part of the Potter Fire District, they could have a quick response, so equipment was stored there. Since then, Potter has had no firefighters working near the former Army Depot. 

 “It’s just going to be for equipment storage. We will have restrooms in it. Then we will have one room that we’ll call an activity room or whatever. We’ve got different people who have donated weights and stuff. We’re going to put that in there, but it’s just going to be a smaller room,” he said. 

He added that since the current building has kitchen facilities, there isn’t a need for a kitchen in the new fire hall.  

“So, it’s just strictly going to be the storage for our equipment, supplies, stuff like that,” Hilpert said. 

Hilpert said the goal is to centralize all of the department’s assets. 

The process started more than a year ago, he said. The new building, and the future fire truck, is funded by a bond. The fire department is contracted with Cleary Building in Scottsbluff. Projected completion is late spring or early summer of this year.