It finally happened. The Town of Sandisfield took possession of its own firehouse at 207 Sandisfield Road (Rt. 57).

The Town became owner of what has always been termed Fire Station No. 2 in January, after the Select Board voted to take ownership of the building by eminent domain, and the "taking" was duly recorded at Berkshire Southern District Registry of Deeds.

The entity surrendering the property was the nonprofit Sandisfield Fire Department, Inc. (SFDI), which had been established in 1987 to help construct the building and support the Town's fire department. In the summer of 2025, the town severed ties with the nonprofit after recently appointed Fire Chief Mike Grillo charged SFDI with attempting to undermine him and the Town's fire department.

From when the building was constructed, SFDI had held title to the firehouse and charged the Town a yearly rent to use the building. For several years and a series of Select Boards, the title and use of the firehouse had been in dispute. Finally, to resolve the issue, the Town agreed to pay SFDI $299,000 for the building, after voters authorized the payment at a Special Town Meeting in November.

As part of the handover, SFDI requested a walk-through to identify items in the building that it claimed were owned by SFDI. This took place Sunday, January 18. In attendance were Chief Grillo, other current members of the Sandisfield Fire Department, Selectman Bob Fedell, a few members of the public, and reporter Jane Kaufman of The Berkshire Eagle. Representing SFDI was current president Dan Andrus, former president and current director Ralph Morrison, director Mike Morrison, and SFDI member Rico Sanchez.

During the tour, Ralph Morrison pointed out items he said had been paid for by SFDI, including kitchen items that one member of the public, Zoe Nelson, believed were property of the New Boston Congregational Church, which hosts dinners at the firehouse. Morrison said the paper plates and disposable cups belonged to SFDI and he wanted to take them. He told Chief Grillo, "Don't throw nothing out."

As part of the eminent domain taking, the Town was required to present SFDI with two documents. One, a friendly taking of the property at the assessed value, included an agreement by SFDI not to sue for more money in the future. The other document, termed a "pro-tonto" document, included a statement that for three years SFDI reserved the right to sue the Town for more money.

As reported by reporter Kaufman in The Eagle, SFDI could have accepted "the price in what's known as a friendly taking, sue over the price based on an [earlier] appraisal, or gift the station to the town." She quoted SFDI president Dan Andrus as saying that "he didn't know what action the approximately 22 members of the nonprofit would decide. 'Obviously, gifting is not one of the options,' he said. 'They're disassociating from us, then, here you go - we're not playing with them.'"

As expected, SFDI signed the second document and the taking of the property proceeded. By press time, Current SFDI president Andrus had not returned a phone call to address SFDI's future plans.

At the walk-through, after the SFDI members had finished identifying what they felt was their property, Ralph Morrison said, "Let's get out of here."