Broken Arrow voters to decide next month on bond issue revisions

It's a technicality that could prevent emergency crews from getting to one of northeastern Oklahoma's fastest growing areas. <br/><br/>The north side of Broken Arrow is booming, but unless voters

Friday, August 26th 2005, 10:35 am

By: News On 6

It's a technicality that could prevent emergency crews from getting to one of northeastern Oklahoma's fastest growing areas.

The north side of Broken Arrow is booming, but unless voters approve, hundreds of homeowners will be miles away from fire and ambulance protection.

News on 6 anchor Scott Thompson says Broken Arrow voters overwhelmingly approved a bond proposal last year that would fund a new fire and emergency operations complex with new tax money. Now, a new vote wouldn't ask for more money, but permission to build the fire station and the operations center separately.

Fire chief Dennis McIntire supports the upcoming bond vote that would split the projects, keeping the operations center near the police station, and building the new fire station up north.

He says the nearest station for many north Broken Arrow neighborhoods is at least a couple miles away, and that station stays pretty busy. "And if that one happens to be out on a run, like an emergency medical unit and there's an emergency medical situation here, our nearest one is probably 10-15 minutes away."