BRATTLEBORO — Town staff and members of the Selectboard have repeatedly outlined the issues facing the three stations.
According to Town Manager Peter Elwell, the West Brattleboro Station (formally called Station 2) has basically “failed.”
Issues include (but are not limited to):
• Asbestos at the Central Fire Station building, which was constructed in 1949.
• Mold growing on the walls in all three buildings. The Municipal Center, built in 1885, is prone to dampness in its basement.
• Diesel soot in the living areas of both fire stations. Firefighters staff the stations 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The diesel from the fire trucks coats the walls of the apparatus bays and where the firefighters sleep.
• Privacy and security problems in the police station, bisected by a public hallway that places the privacy of victims at risk, according to Police Chief Michael Fitzgerald.
• The doors for Central Station are too small for modern firetrucks. The taxpayers must fund special customized vehicles to fit the bay doors. Fire Chief Michael Bucossi estimates a modern ladder truck costs $900,000, compared to a customized truck, which costs $1.3 million.
• Cracks in the walls of Central Station indicate a shifting foundation.
• Tight quarters entering the police station. When bringing in a suspect, officers navigate a series of steep stairs and tight hallways. A short video prepared by the police department elicited a quick gasp from some audience members. While checking their weapons, the hallway is set up in such a way that it leaves the officer vulnerable to a lunge from a handcuffed “non-compliant” suspect.