Much time was spent by the members of the OFPA board and the members of the building committee to review the proposals for the construction of the new fire station.  Meetings were held with the three lowest bidders and a decision was made to accept the proposal from the Premiere Construction Company from Kitty Hawk.  Right now, we are fine tuning the plans to make sure that everything in them meets the needs of the department.  As soon as the engineering on the bulkheads comes back, we should be ready to move forward with a contract.  Once the signing of the contract takes place, then we should see construction begin. 

As all of you are aware, we are constantly facing issues such as unexpected weather, ferries not necessarily running on regular schedules, over wash on Hwy. 12 on both Ocracoke and Pea Island, and perhaps a lack of affordable housing for workers as we move into the high season.  Living on Ocracoke can present unexpected challenges at just about any time, but even more so when taking on a large project such as we are facing.  We will be as careful as possible in making forthcoming decisions. 

Fundraising now is more important than ever.  We want to thank those who have already responded to our December fundraising letter.  That money has all gone into our building fund. 

Friends of the fire department who have organized previous Firemen’s Balls are again hard at work on the 2013 event.  (Find out more about the Firemen's Ball here.) The more money we can raise from this event, the less money OFPA will have to borrow to complete construction of the new fire station.  We encourage you to consider becoming a sponsor this year, and /or making a donation to the silent and live auctions. 

With luck, when you visit Ocracoke later on in 2013, you will be able to experience a sense of pride in knowing that you were one of the many people whose donations helped build the new fire station.  Since 2007 we have raised $1,000,000.  Thank you for doing such a terrific job in helping us get this project underway.

The Ocracoke Fire Protection Association Board of Directors

Dick Jacoby, President

Ernie Doshier, Vice President

Janey Jacoby, Secretary

Teresa O’Neal, Treasurer

Van O’Neal, Member-At-Large

Albert O’Neal, Fire Chief