CLEVELAND — A Cleveland fire station was shut down Sunday night after water leaks from recent wet weather, according to a city spokesman.
Ward 8 Councilman Michael Polensek said firefighters told him the roof of Fire Station #30 has been leaking for years, which has also led to concerns about mold.
Polensek said the station was also shut down because firefighters complained about a bad smell.
A hazmat contractor was directed to test the building "to assess current conditions" and determine the next steps - "including any necessary remediation work and/or abatement efforts" to ensure the building is safe, according to an email from Tyler Sinclair, Communication Strategist, City of Cleveland.
The city will also replace the roof.
Fire Station #30 is at the corner of East 103rd Street and St. Clair Avenue on the city's northeast side.
Polensek said the station provides coverage of the Glenville neighborhood, Bratenahl, and I-90.
Polensek said Fire Station #30 is far from the only fire station in need of repairs.
"We constantly hear about roof leaks, water penetration, heating systems not working, air conditioning systems not working, [and] electrical issues. We've got to make our buildings safe for our men and women who are serving," he said. "It's not only embarrassing, but it's dangerous."
He also said four out of five of the city's police districts are in poor condition.
"The state can come up with $600 million plus for the Cleveland Browns, but there's no effort to help us fix fire houses, fix police stations," he said. "At the end of the day, our priorities have got to get reset here. "
According to Sinclair, there are nine Cleveland Division of Fire employees who are on shift per day at the station, including six firefighters, two officers, and a battalion chief.
They were reassigned to Fire Stations #10, #17, and #31, according to Sinclair's email.
There is also a two-person EMS crew that works out of the station.
Sinclair's email statement said there will be no impact on services from the station's closure.
Below is the initial statement Sinclair sent to News 5:
"The City’s Property Management Team just became aware of the issue today. They immediately contacted our hazmat contractor and directed them to test the building. Next steps will be decided based on the results of that assessment. In the meantime, the Division of Fire Command Staff created an operational plan — which accounts for contingencies like this — that optimizes the placement of both personnel and equipment so that no services will be impacted."
Cleveland Council members Kevin Conwell (Ward 9) and Anthony Hairston (Ward 10), who have residents in the station's coverage area, sent out the following statement Tuesday evening, expressing concern about the station's closure:
“We are deeply concerned by the temporary closure of Fire Station 30, a vital community resource servicing the northeast part of our city and the Village of Bratenahl. We received no prior notice about the closure from our Department of Public Safety, and only learned of it through community members and news reports. This lack of communication regarding such a critical issue raises serious questions about response times and resident safety.
As Councilmen, we are firmly committed to public safety and advocating for the necessary resources for our first responders. We will immediately demand a full explanation for this closure and work to ensure Fire Station 30 reopens swiftly, and safely for our firefighters, Paramedics and EMTs. Clear communication must be established to prevent this lapse from happening again in the future. Our first responders deserve clean, safe environments, and our residents deserve our full dedication to their safety."
