OBSERVER Photo by Andrew David Kuczkowski The North Collins Fire Hall was upgraded recently with new garage doors and an improved meeting room upstairs. The meeting room was worked on by volunteer prisoners from Gowanda, Collins correctional facilities — something the group does annually with the village.

NORTH COLLINS — Construction is been complete on the North Collins Fire Hall, which gives it a new facade and easier fire truck accessibility.

“We had to replace the three (garage) doors in front and plus some of the brick and everything,” North Collins Village Mayor Vincent George said. “It was falling apart. Probably, the main reason was that it wasn’t wide enough and the trucks could barely get in. If we bought a new truck, it couldn’t get in. When we have other fire companies come here for fires to back us up, they can’t put their trucks in because newer trucks are wider.”

There is also a meeting room upstairs that received upgrades as well. Mayor George stated that a volunteer group of prisoners from the Gowanda, Collins correctional facilities came in to do the labor. The group does it annually.

The meeting room has a new floor, paneling and ceiling tiles.

The assistance was appreciated by the mayor as he said their work was excellent, which will benefit the village’s fire department.