NCFPD prioritizes facilities maintenance

Friday, November 14th, 2014 Issue 46, Volume 18.

A presentation by North County Fire Protection District deputy fire chief Ed Sprague was not a voting item at the Oct. 28 NCFPD board meeting, but the board was supportive of the facility maintenance priorities recommended by Sprague and other NCFPD staff.

"We need to maintain these facilities in top condition," Sprague said.

NCFPD staff annually inspects all of the districts facilities and identifies any needed improvements or maintenance. Sprague, fire prevention specialist Gregg Holdridge, and captain Gary Nelson performed this years inspections on Oct. 8 and subsequently developed a priorities list based on health and safety issues, functional needs, staff well-being needs, and facility appearance. Each district facility was evaluated and an overall list was developed. The identified needs will be prioritized, and based on available funds bids will be obtained and repairs will be completed.

"Weve set aside the funds to take care of them this fiscal year to the best of our ability," Sprague said.

The NCFPD budget process includes a Stations and Grounds item for such work. The 2014-15 budget allocated $60,000 for Stations and Grounds, and approximately $40,000 will be available for the listed projects. Some maintenance and improvement tasks are beyond the scope of the firefighters and will require outside specialists while others may be performed by NCFPD staff with funding needed only for supplies. "The firefighters do a real good job of maintaining the facilities independently," Sprague said.

Many of the issues identified in the 2013 inspection were repaired as were some unanticipated situations such as mold remediation at Station 1 (Ivy Street), the five-year certification of the fire suppression sprinkler systems at Station 2 (Winterwarm) and Station 3 (Olive Hill) and at the fleet maintenance facility, and the installation of a ramp at the ball field meeting current Americans with Disabilities Act standards.

In addition to the mold remediation project which included the complete stripping and decontamination of the crew sleeping quarters and the replacement of bedframes, Station 1 work included sealing the floor with epoxy paint and replacing windows with dual-glazed vinyl windows for energy efficiency, and energy efficiency activities also included upgrading the stations fluorescent lighting and replacing the back ramp light with light-emitting diode illumination. Station 1 work following the 2013 recommendations also included painting the dormitory and servicing the heating and cooling system.

The past inspections have included all fire stations, the old shop, and the new shop. The 2014 inspections added the Scout hut and the surrounding yard, the ball field and related structures, the cell phone tower site and related structures, and the property adjacent to the cell towers. The repairs and improvements were categorized into minor repairs to be handled by the station crew, repairs which will require a contractor or other specialist, and improvements which will enhance a facilitys safety or functionality.

The new top priorities for Station 1 are repairing and repainting fascia and siding on the west side of the station and constructing individual rooms in the dormitory. The other identified Station 1 needs are repairing wall damage in the shower area, painting the apparatus room, repairing walls and painting the workout room, replacing the roof on the storage room behind the station, and reconnecting the station alerting speaker on the patio.

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NCFPD prioritizes facilities maintenance