Progress continues to be made at the site of a new public safety complex on Knox Road in Bow, with plans to set the foundation in coming weeks.

“Once the slab is in there, (the building) will start going up quickly,” said Bow Town Manager David Stack. 

The site has been cleared of trees, and workers with Audley Construction of Bow continued to remove stumps and level the land Friday afternoon. Once the site is under control and contained, meaning no water or debris will flow off the property, Gary Chicoine Construction Company of Weare will begin work on the foundation.

Stack, with representatives from Unitil and Fairpoint, visited the site Friday to discuss where the electric and phone lines will be placed leading up to the building. This expense has not yet been set, but will be covered by the town within the project budget.

“We’ll do what makes the most sense for the town (in terms of cost),” Stack said.

Despite some early snags in the permitting process that delayed the start of work, the building is still set to be complete by the end of February. The outside structure is expected to be done by the end of the fall so work can be done inside during winter.

Stack is working with officials in the fire and police departments to develop a move-in plan once the building is ready. That transition will likely be one department at a time. The larger task will be moving the fire equipment into the new building.

Currently, firefighters sleep in a bunk room in a building unattached to the main fire department at the corner of Knox and Bow Center roads. When they get a call, the firefighters run across the parking lot to the main building where the trucks are housed. In some cases, the town’s ambulance is kept in the same building as the bunk room so first responders can climb right in and take off to a call.

Having everything under one roof will save valuable time, Stack said. “A few minutes here and there can make a big difference.”

The complex will also provide a central location for police and fire, and is a short walk from where the fire station currently sits. The Bow police station is currently three miles away on Robinson Road, between Route 3A and Interstate 93.

(Nick Stoico can be reached at 369-3309, nstoioc@cmonitor.com or on Twitter @NickStoico.)