After not undergoing an inspection for 15 years, the Thompsonville firehouse in Enfield has been hit with several fire code violations.
Firefighters have been sleeping in the basement, the stairwells aren’t up to code,and the ceilings are caving in because the fire trucks above are too heavy for the floor, which was built in the 1930s, Chief Francis Alaimo said.
Now, the community might have to pay up for repairs.
“It's very alarming,” Alaimo said. “It's been neglected for a long time. It's not ADA compliant.”
The town building inspector said a prior fire chief told him inspections weren’t necessary because the building was undergoing renovations.
“We can’t change the past. We have to fix the future,” Chief Alaimo said.
It would cost $3.5 million to fix the firehouse while building a new one could be a cheaper option.
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The chief said a decision on this would be made in a matter of months.
Taxpayers aren’t thrilled about possibly fronting the bill.
“It should have been inspected for more than 15 years,” Amy Alter said.
In the meantime, firefighters will stay a trailer on some empty land just feet away while the building gets some temporary fixes. That move will take place in about six weeks.
“We're going to be building some walls, patching some holes -- make it safe,” Alaimo said.
The chief said it could be months before town leaders decide if they want a new firehouse.
