FRONTIER SHORES, Okla — The Frontier Shores Volunteer Fire Department needs a new building, but it doesn't have enough funding.
Steve Matias is the chief of the volunteer fire department.
Matias said property owners will be taking the building back to demolish it, citing the high cost of maintenance.
WATCH: Frontier Shores Volunteer Fire Department facing possible shutdown
Matias said the building is in disrepair, with flooding having a significant impact on it.
"Half this gear has been soaked, it's molded and we need a new station," he said.
The department operates solely on donations.
Matias said it only has several hundred dollars in the bank at the moment, which means they don't have enough to buy a building without help.
They have set up a GoFundMe for anyone looking to lend a helping hand.
"We have the staffing, we have the equipment that we need," he said. "We need someplace to call home."
Sasha Phillips is a Frontier Shores resident and said the station has provided her local community with quick and efficient help.
“The only other fire department close to us is I think it’s about 15 miles down the road down here," she said. "I am so grateful for the firemen here. They have come out here multiple times just for us when people were burning trash, or when people were burning brush. It was very hazardous, we’ve had to call them multiple times for that. They come right out, no problem.”
Phillips said she doesn't even want to know what would happen if the station were to shut down.
“This community would really feel a loss," she said. "We would really take a hit, not just Frontier Shores, but the entire community around us.”
Matias agreed.
“That leaves us unprotected," he said. "God forbid there’s no department here. We’re talking about lives at risk. The nearest department is 27 to 26 minute response time. In that time, your whole house is almost gone.”
Anyone looking to donate can visit the department's GoFundMe page or call (918) 944-9415 for more information.
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