New Police Station with Fire Substation

At the 2024 Town Election, voters approved Article 4 to design and construct a new Police Station with a Fire Substation on Continental Drive off of Epping Road to address safety and space needs  of both departments. The facility is estimated to cost $17,522,500.

As the project progresses, information will be posted on this page. 

To learn more about the project, the Town has prepared a short informational video looking at the needs for a new facility.

Why do we need a new Police Station with a Fire Substation?

The Public Safety Complex which houses both the Police and Fire departments was built in 1979. In the last 40 years since the building opened, the town has grown significantly. In the last ten years alone, the Town has seen nearly 1 million sq. feet of new construction, much of that in the Epping Road, Continental Drive, and Industrial Drive areas. The population has grown from 11,000 in 1970 to around 16,000 in 2023.

As the Town has grown, so have expectations of local government and their public safety services. Modern-day Police and Fire departments are expected to respond quickly, provide topnotch service and car, and serve the community to the best of their ability by supporting a safe environment for all to live and play. A new Police Station with a Fire Substation would enable to the Town to offer these essential services to our residents for the next 30-plus years. 

Security Concerns:

• Parking at the current facility is unsecured. Recently an officer was approached in the parking lot by someone he had stopped earlier in the day. 
• The floor plan of the facility forces the department to escort detainees for processing through staff workspaces and maintenance areas, including a gun-cleaning bench. Staff must be removed from the area before walking through. This is unsafe and disruptive to staff workflow. 
• Holding cells do not meet current safety standards. 

Fire & EMS Response Time:

• The national benchmark used for fire and EMS is a 4-minute travel time from station to scene. Due to  downtown congestion, school zones, and the railroad tracks, it takes 4-minutes or greater to reach the Brentwood Road intersection. It takes 11 minutes to reach Exeter High School.
• Currently only 78% of the Fire Department's responses meet the 4-minute standard. With a substation, the Fire Department would be able to meet the standard 95% of the time. 
• 1 in 5 calls for Fire or EMS services are from the Epping Road corridor and north of Rt. 101. A substation would greatly reduce response time for those calls.

Urgent Need for More Space:

In 1979 when the current facility was built, it housed  44 employees across both departments. In 2023, the building is bursting with 70 employees. With the increase in staffing came an increase in equipment and new responsibilities. A new Police Station with a Fire Substation would address the space and operational needs for both departments. 

The entire Police Department and dispatch staff would move to the new facility to solve their space concerns .

• Office space
• Training room
• Storage

The Fire Department has more than doubled its staff since the current public safety complex was built in 1978, going from 13 to 34 employees in the last 45 years. If a new Police Station and Fire Substation is approved, the department would move one fire engine, an ambulance, and 12 employees (2-3 per shift) to the new facility.

• Current fire bay area is cramped with vehicles back to back, with a new substation, some of the equipment would be moved to the new location, freeing up space at the main station
• Storage closets have been converted to bunk rooms
• The training room cannot fit the majority of the department for staff meetings or large trainings.

How will we pay for the building?

The project costs have escalated by 7.5% to $17,522,500, primarily due to construction inflation. If approved, the Town would secure a twenty-year bond with an estimated interest rate of 3.65%. What would this mean for the average tax payer?

• For a $300K home, with a tax rate of 0.68 cents per $1,000, the cost would be $203 per year
• For a $400K home, with a tax rate of 0.68 cents per $1,000, the cost would be $270 per year

What would change if the project is approved?

The Police Department would relocate with dispatch to the new facility on Continental Drive. Relocating from the Public Safety Complex to the Epping Road area will not affect the department's presence in the downtown area or other parts of Town. Law enforcement employees will continue to patrol and support all sections of town as they always have. This includes our commitment to community policing in the downtown corridor. 

The Fire Department would remain at their court street location. A fire engine, an ambulance, and 12 employees (2-3 per shift) would relocate to the new substation on Continental Drive. No new staff or equipment will be needed to staff the new facility. 

How can I follow developments with this project?

Residents interested in following this project are encouraged to sign up for the Town's email newsletter and stay tuned to the homepage of the Town website, exeternh.gov, for developments with this project. A list of meetings and important dates will be added to this page as the project progresses. 

• March 12th, 2024: Voters approved Article 4 at the Town Elections.
• January 16th, 2024: The Select Board held a public hearing on the Proposed FY24 Budget and Bonds at their January 16th, 2024 meeting. The Select Board voted 5-0 to recommend Article 4 to raise and appropriate funds for the design and construction of the proposed New Police Station and Fire Substation. The next discussion on the article will be at the Deliberative Session on Saturday, February 3rd, 2024.
• November 16th, 2023: The Budget Recommendations Committee heard a presentation from Town staff related to the project at their November 16th, 2023 meeting. To view the video link and other info, visit the meeting page.