John Penney
The Day, New London, Conn.
(TNS)
New London — During a shift earlier this week at the North Fire Station on Broad Street, the antiquated and overworked window-unit air conditioners inside a set of upper rooms finally quit — as the mercury neared 100 degrees on the hottest day of the year so far.
“It was hotter inside than outside,” Lt. Steven Jolly said Friday.
But relief is on the way thanks to $417,000 worth of state-supplied Local Capital Improvement Program (LoCIP) funding that will be used to make a series of improvements to the 48-year-old station.
“These will be the first real upgrades to the station since it was built,” Chief Vernon Skau said, walking through a day room where the same types of air-conditioning units that failed upstairs hummed away near sets of rotating fans.
The new ductless heating and cooling units, which will replace the old, rattling units set in place with cardboard and tape, will alone cost nearly $100,000, but are expected to be more energy efficient and lead to long-term savings. Work to the floor, ceilings, roof and painting accounts for most of the rest of the cost.
“Things cost so much more now and the money doesn’t go as far,” Skau said. But firefighters perform better, feel more appreciated, and remain more committed when they know that our city supports them. This investment leads to stronger service, better morale and greater public safety.”
The project also calls for renovating firefighter sleeping areas and bathrooms, the latter which Skau described as “vintage.” The bunk room decor is reminiscent of a 1970s summer camp, with metal spring beds and gouged pressboard storage spaces.
Skau said the sleeping area and bathroom will be gutted and rebuilt with partitions added to give relaxing firefighters a little privacy.
“These are places where firefighters, working 24-hour shifts, can spend a third of their lives,” Skau said. “So, for (Mayor Michael Passero) and the City Council to support us with this project means a lot to our members. It means they’re seen as valued.”
The council on June 2 awarded the project contact to Danbury-based BMP Construction, which previously completed renovations to the South Fire Station on Lower Boulevard and the department’s main headquarters building on Bank Street.
“This is the last station to get some attention,” Skau said in a hallway where battered lockers were decorated with New York Yankees and St. Bernard High School softball team stickers.
LoCIP monies are awarded each year to municipalities for major road, bridge and public building projects. The city or town allocates the cost of the work and is later reimbursed with LoCIP funds.
Director of Public Works Brian Sear said without those state funds, the city would have to draw on its $2 million-a-year infrastructure bonding or $300,000 annual building repair budgets.
“Which means we had less money for road, sidewalk and other upgrade work,” Sear said, adding the North Station work wraps up a series of long-needed firehouse upgrades. “These are decades-old buildings and I’m very proud we’ve been able to improve t