The Syracuse Fire Department is facing an emergency in one of its own buildings that could impact its ability to respond to emergencies in the community. Engineers are seeking the immediate condemnation of the maintenance facility on State Fair Blvd. due to a weakened garage floor that no longer safely supports fire trucks. Chief Michael Monds told common councilors that small cracks were discovered a year ago.
“Then on July 18th, a fire apparatus lift jack broke through that slab, revealing severe structural damage," he said. "So at that point, city engineering and C&S [Companies] declared the floor unsafe for vehicles, lifts, and any other heavy loads. It also restricted foot traffic in certain areas of that floor.”
Monds said fire trucks have grown larger and heavier since the facility was built in the late 1960’s. The damage has left the fire department without a functioning repair garage. Monds said station mechanics have relied on tents and the long stretches of nice weather to do truck repairs outdoors. When the cold and snow hit, he said it's proving difficult to find a facility to either repair the trucks or at least store them out of the elements.
“Multiple times since this occurred in July, we've got down to no spare apparatus," Monds said. "So the worry is we're going to run out of fire trucks because we can't fix them. We tried to find multiple sites, we reached out to multiple places. The only place we're able to find a temporary spot was Syracuse University.”
Even there, Monds said the single bay barely accommodates the larger rigs, and they can only use it on a limited basis. He said few if any facilities in the area can accommodate the size, weight, and equipment requirements they need to service 113 vehicles.
Monds told councilors he hopes to have an agreement on their agenda within the next few weeks. Meanwhile, engineers are assessing the cost of replacing and expanding the current facility, which could take two to five years.
