The New Britain Fire Department’s Station 4 is about to undergo a $500,000 renovation, and it’s not a week too soon.
At 70, New Britain’s oldest firehouse is showing serious signs of wear: Part of the parking lot is closed because pieces of the roof are falling down, and the decrepit heating system failed a few months ago.
“The bones of the building are good, but it hasn’t been maintained. We have to do it now,” Chief Raul Ortiz said Tuesday.
The work will take five or six months, and for the first few weeks the fire department must close the firehouse altogether so contractors can remove asbestos. Until it’s safe for Station 4 firefighters to return, they’ll be centered at Station 2 on South Main Street, about 2 miles away.
Ortiz emphasized that firefighters assigned to Engine 4 will still spend much of their shifts in the West Side, possibly standing by at centrally located landmarks like the Stop & Shop plaza or Walnut Hill Park. But during the hours when they’d usually be sleeping or eating at Station 4, they’ll be sharing space at Station 2.
“It’s important that people know we will still come in a timely manner. But we’re encouraging everyone not to delay calling 911 - the faster you call, the faster you get a response,” Ortiz said.
Station 4 serves much of the West Side including the Jerome Home senior care complex and the Slade Middle School. It has three-firefighter crews assigned to Engine 4 around the clock.
The engine company has operated out of the two-story brick building on Corbin Avenue just off Route 72 since 1949. This summer, it marked 70 years of service.
Contractors will remove the original tile flooring and asbestos, then polish the concrete floor below. They’ll install new wiring, a new roof, and new heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems, and also remove the old heating system that provided radiant heat through the floor.
“Back in 1949, this was state of the art,” Ortiz said.
During the start of construction, everything has been moved out of the second floor and attic; some equipment is in storage, but most is crammed onto the floor of the second garage bay. In the first bay is Engine 10, a spare truck that’s usually parked at Station 2.
When the asbestos removal is complete, the Engine 4 crews will return. Contractors will be able to work around them for most of the other construction, officials said.
Mayor Erin Stewart has said it’s a priority of her administration to gradually modernize the city’s firehouses; engineers are considering complete replacement of two and renovations to the other four.
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