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Close Call For Firetrucks

4 comments

THE NORTON, OHIO, FIRE DEPARTMENT knew that they needed a new building to house Station 1, so they have been planning and acquiring land.  Everything is all set for a groundbreaking later this month with a hoped-for opening in November.  But it won’t be happening any too soon.

On February 24 the on-duty firefighters heard a loud crack coming from the roof.  When they went up to inspect it to see what was wrong, they found that nearly all of the roof trusses had snapped.  About 30-seconds later, the drywall in the station started splitting.  They immediately got all of the trucks out of the station, three ambulances, a rescue truck, two fire engines, a tanker, and a brush truck. 

norton a akronbeaconjournal

Some citizens came by to help the FD load up
and move their equipment out of the building.
(Akron Beacon Journal photo)

The next day a structural engineer said that the building had been infiltrated with dry rot and was in danger of collapse.  Everything else was then removed from the building.  Some of the apparatus were moved over to Station 2, but the rest had to be located in a heated building that was quickly rented.

Yesterday, Thursday March 11, the roof collapsed sometime in the early afternoon.  A city councilman was driving by the vacated firehouse and saw a hole in the roof.  He called the fire chief and the firefighters drove over to see what it was.  As soon as they got there, they had to leave on a fire call, but when they came back the entire roof had collapsed.

WEWS-TV has today’s video report on this latest event:

Read more on Ohio.com HERE and HERE.
Norton Fire Department WEBSITE.

Also on FireGeezer…

Posted by on March 12, 2010 • Filed under: Fire Rescue Topics, fire stations, Videos • Tagged: ,
  • mr618

    Isn't it WONDEFUL having to deal with the lowest bidder, instead of someone who is, say, a professional builder? If the Norton Fire Dept is lucky, the builder will have been forced to post a bond for completion. Otherwise, they'll have to hope insurance covers it.

  • mr618

    And, of course, on re-reading, I see it wasn't the new house that collapsed. Oh, well, the town will probably still have to go with the low bidder for the new house.

  • mr618

    Isn't it WONDEFUL having to deal with the lowest bidder, instead of someone who is, say, a professional builder? If the Norton Fire Dept is lucky, the builder will have been forced to post a bond for completion. Otherwise, they'll have to hope insurance covers it.

  • mr618

    And, of course, on re-reading, I see it wasn't the new house that collapsed. Oh, well, the town will probably still have to go with the low bidder for the new house.