OXFORD – Oxford Fire District 23 has options which range from doing nothing to building an entirely new station at a different site.

That was the message taxpayers heard at the Oxford Fire Station Monday during an informational forum led by Hueber-Breuer Construction, the engineering firm contracted by the village to analyze the threat of riverbank erosion on the fire station just yards from the Chenango River.

The bank's seen significant wear in the last ten years, prompting village officials to analyze ways to protect the 1970s era fire station. The village says it's just a matter of time before before the river poses a threat too costly for the village to handle.

The solution? Mayor Terry Stark says he's not sure. But it's good the village has a list of 10 workable options identified by Hueber-Breuer, including a new structure on or off the current site, repairing the river bed, opening a sub station, consolidating with other districts, or simply doing nothing.

Stark expects something will need to be done within the next ten years before possible flood damage to the station leaves taxpayers underwater.

“We're going to do the best thing for Oxford, the best thing for Oxford Fire District 23, and we're going to look at everything and probably choose an option that provides the best service of the fire district at a reasonable cost,” said Stark.

The goal of Hueber-Breuer is to keep the department viable for the next half-century. There's a lot involved in that, explained company project manager Sean Foran.

“The most important decision you make in any project are the ones you make early in the process,” Foran said to a crowd of roughly two dozen at Monday night's forum. “We don't want you to spend money designing something that either won't be code, you can't afford, or isn't a longterm solution.”

He added that the village's issue with the river bank presents a unique challenge not typically seen in other fire districts, and that makes the decision process a bit more convoluted.

“We have this condition with the river bank that has maybe forced our hand a little to look at this structure, how it serves the community, and what's right for investing to protect the structure moving forward,” he said. “And while we're doing that, is it money that will be well invested so that the fire department can continue to serve the community for the next 50 years?”

Foran additionally stressed that should the village chooses the cheapest short-term option – to do nothing – it could become the most expensive option in the long-term. With annual inflation on building materials and labor rates, particularly those for a capital project, the village may pay an additional $200,000 for every million dollars borrowed.

Riverbank aside, Hueber-Breuer has singled out other concerns for the fire station. The narrow hallway where firefighter's keep turnout gear, for example, hinders response time. And areas in the brick and mortar fail to meet New York code.

But perhaps the biggest concern, said Foran, is the department's engine bay which is packed so tightly with apparatuses that firefighters must sometimes move one truck to get into another, and that effects both response time and firefighter safety.

“More firefighters are getting hurt in America in their own station than they are out on the job now,” he said. “What can we do to make that fire bay safer so people aren't getting run over or smushed by equipment?”

Hueber-Breuer will conduct a thorough building condition survey on Tuesday. The company promises more detailed data for taxpayers at the next public forum in September.

The Village of Oxford has created a facilities review committee to work alongside Hueber-Breuer. The aim is to have a master plan with information and recommendations available to the public by December.