May 06--STOCKTON -- A spokesman for the Stockton Fire Department said it is uncertain when Station 6 will reopen as workers continue asbestos abatement efforts in the 1940s-era building just south of The Haggin Museum in Victory Park.
Fire department spokesman Jeff Whitlock said Monday the facility at 1501 Picardy Drive has been closed since April 5 but could reopen by the end of this month. On the other hand, the closure could last longer.
"If it's closed past May, we'll get a formal notice to citizens," Whitlock said. "Right now, it's seen as a temporary closure. ... There's no estimated date for moving back in."
The building was tested for asbestos Thursday and Friday. Results are expected this week. The possibility of the presence of asbestos in Station 6 originally was raised by a former Fire Department employee, Whitlock said.
The major concern about the closure is its possible effect on response times. Whitlock said the department's goal is to respond to calls within four minutes. He said despite the closure, response times have been unaffected. Stations 2, 4, 9 and 10 are filling the void. The department's water-rescue unit, ordinarily housed at Station 6, has been moved to Station 2 for the time being.
"We're still meeting that four-minute response time at almost all locations," Whitlock said. "It's just a little bit more call volume at the surrounding stations."
Asbestos is a building material that was banned decades ago, because prolonged inhalation can cause severe illness, including lung cancer.
Contact reporter Roger Phillips at (209) 546-8299 or [email protected]. Follow him at www.recordnet.com/phillipsblog and on Twitter @rphillipsblog.
Copyright 2014 - The Record, Stockton, Calif.
