NORTHFIELD — Nearly a week after the dissolution of a plan to purchase a facility in Bernardston to house Northfield EMS, that agency’s chief was authorized this week to acquire quotes on studying the feasibility of a temporary structure at 41 Main St., the site of its current home.

Matt Wolkenbreit got the nod from the Emergency Services Facility Committee on Wednesday to reach out to engineering firms or other consultants to determine the price of assessing boundary delineation and other aspects of assembling a modular facility on the land owned by The Sandri Companies.

“We know that the site works for a location and services,” he told committee members inside Northfield Town Hall. “It has no increase or change in impact to the community and the traffic flow or public safety.”

Wolkenbreit said there are four options — lease, lease to own, purchase and purchase with the option to sell back. For more than 10 years, it has cost $900 per month, plus annual property taxes, to lease the facility from The Sandri Companies. This agreement has equaled $12,989 per year.

Northfield achieved the necessary Special Town Meeting support in November to buy Valley Concrete & Construction’s facility at 546 Northfield Road in Bernardston for $2.1 million, but the company unexpectedly withdrew from purchase-and-sale negotiations earlier this month. The structure spans 15,680 square feet and sits on just more than 3 acres.

“As sad as I am about it … identifying our immediate needs — short-term and long-term — really is the priority,” Wolkenbreit said.

“The needs are that we have to house staff 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to be able to operate the service,” he continued, mentioning that regulations require areas adequate for meals, resting, hygiene, meetings and laundry. “Right now we are tied into one building, where vehicle exhaust is, not being safely evacuated.”

There have been three proposals to move Northfield EMS into a new, larger space over the past 12 years. These included a $13.5 million public safety complex proposal that was rejected by voters in 2023.

The current EMS station at 41 Main St., a converted gas station from 1960, spans 1,488 square feet with a lot size of 13,068 square feet. Wolkenbreit, who has been chief for seven months, explained that adding a modular facility could provide a temporary solution, defining “temporary” as the length of time required to find a permanent home. He said the temporary option is a well-insulated, energy-efficient modular facility that is common in disaster zones. These facilities, he said, get hooked up to necessary utilities.

Emergency Services Facility Committee member Victoria Luksha, attending Wednesday’s meeting remotely, said she is intrigued by Wolkenbreit’s suggestion.

“I think the idea of a temporary structure is a really interesting one,” she said.

Steve Seredynski said he has been serving on the committee for seven years and there have been 17 potential sites in that time.

Selectboard member Sarah Kerns delivered a presentation pitching the potential for using the lot at the corner of Mount Hermon Station Road (Route 142) and Bennett Brook Road for a future home for Northfield EMS. She explained the roughly 2 acres would need to be surveyed. She said it houses a construction company workshop built by a contractor. Bethany Walker, of the Board of Assessors, said the land is owned by Peter and Terry Burakiewicz.

Kerns said the existing structure on the lot spans 3,100 square feet and has 10-foot garage doors.

Town Administrator Andrea Llamas chimed in to say this property was previously discussed.

“The only concern that came to our attention is it’s across the railroad tracks, and there’s four trains a day,” Llamas said, “and there’s potential concern that the ambulance could be waiting for a train [to pass].”

Reach Domenic Poli at: dpoli@recorder.com or 413-930-4120.