BLAND — Construction on Bland Fire Protection District’s new firehouse began late last month on Colorado Avenue.

Secretary-Treasurer Bill Buddemeyer said the construction of the new building will be taxpayer funded.

“We are a district, so this is a taxpayer funded building project,” Buddemeyer said. “We did not receive grant money or anything like that.”

Businesses involved in the project so far include Mark Heintz Custom Excavating and Trucking LLC for excavation, grade work and rock, concrete by Barry Krause LLC; steel building from Worldwide Steel in Peculiar, Mo., and General Herschberger Construction LLC by Roman Herschberger located in Clinton, Mo.

Buddemeyer said they will be processing a long-term loan once the construction phase is complete. The new fire house will be a 60 by 90 foot metal building, and will replace the old firehouse on Sycamore Street. He said the current firehouse is too small. After the fire protection district vacates the building, it will be available for sale or lease.

“It only has two bays and the doors are too small for the equipment we now have,” Buddemeyer said. “It leaves us no space for training or equipment or anything like that.”

The Bland Fire Protection District Board has held numerous meetings about a construction project, but plans were continuously delayed.

“Doug Nochta is our fire chief and more of a planner,” Buddemeyer said. “He gets things done. He made contact with the companies we are now involved with.”

The new firehouse is expected to have four bays, and an east side entrance for the smaller equipment and brush trucks. The district has about 15 firemen and then some additional junior firefighters.

Anyone interested in the building on Sycamore Street should contact the fire chief.