BLOOMINGTON- Bloomington’s downtown fire station will be closed for an unknown period of time, with personnel and apparatus reassigned to the other four city fire stations.
During the extreme weather event of the past weekend, the Bloomington Fire Department headquarters facility, also known as Station 1, suffered severe flooding. Damage is still being assessed, but most significantly, flooding that filled the entire basement and part of the first floor degraded the building’s communication system and electrical system, including controls for the backup generator for the facility, making the structure uninhabitable.
After immediate work to remove all standing water as quickly as possible, an initial damage assessment by building engineers and additional experts in post-flood building recovery confirmed that the building will not be habitable for some time as repairs are further evaluated and addressed. Firefighters, command staff, and the firefighting apparatus typically housed at Station 1 have relocated to other, existing fire stations and office space.
“We will continue to provide the residents of Bloomington with exceptional fire fighting despite this setback,” Chief Jason Moore said. “Our firefighters are doing what they do best — sticking together and working through difficult situations to keep our city safe.”
“Our emergency responders performed 18 flood water rescues overnight Friday only to learn that while they were out their headquarters had filled with those same floodwaters. Their dedication to duty and effectiveness in the field is something of which every resident of this city can be proud,” stated Mayor John Hamilton. “We will take the time necessary to evaluate options and identify the most prudent path forward.”
The duration of the facility closure is not known at this time. Based on a careful reallocation of equipment and personnel, no significant delays in emergency response times are anticipated.
More information will be provided as it becomes available.
