By Chad Koenen

Publisher

A dilapidated building in Deer Creek could provide some additional training for local fire fighters in the region.

During its regularly scheduled meeting last Monday night, the Deer Creek City Council received a letter from Otter Tail County representatives that approved the city using the building for fire training. The building, which is located at 107 N. Clark St., was recently acquired by the county through tax forfeiture and was determined to be dilapidated and in need of being removed.

As a result, the Deer Creek City Council and Deer Creek Fire Department inquired about the potential of using the building for fire fighter training, before eventually burning down the structure once the training is complete. 

“The county has approved us taking it down, now the rest is up to us,” said Deer Creek City Clerk/Treasurer Tom Parish. 

The biggest question last Monday night concerned about what the city would do with the ash and items left over from the fire. 

Parish said the county wants to know where the city will be bringing the material once it is burned to ensure the items are properly disposed. There was some question last week about whether the ash could be brought to the Otter Tail County disposal site, or whether it needed to be brought to a different facility. 

The city council said it will work with the fire department, as well as the county, to ensure the materials are properly disposed once it is burned down either this fall or next year. The city council and fire department have been discussing using the dilapidated building for training for the fire department for several months. Once the training is completed, the building will be burned down and the ashes and remaining items will then be disposed of and removed. 

In other news 

• Accepted the following donations: $1,500 from the Deer Creek Lions Club for work to be completed at Becker Field and $1,300 from Tri-County Health Care for $1,300 towards the purchase of an AED for Deer Creek Fire and Rescue. 

• Appointed David George to the Deer Creek Fire Department. George lives in Bertha, but works in Deer Creek during the day when a number of members of the local squad are out of town.