None of Cleveland's Fire Stations are in Good Condition, Report Shows

None of Cleveland's 27 fire stations are in good condition and some need significant repairs.

Firefighters' complaints and concerns about the buildings they live in during their shifts were verified by inspectors.

"You look at the conditions of the roofs, you look at the infrastructure — plumbing, electrical, HVAC — poor, poor, fair, fair, poor, poor, poor, poor," Cleveland Councilman Mike Polensek told abc5 after reading the report. 

"It's years of neglect. We build things. The city builds things but doesn't maintain them," the chair of the city's public safety committee added. 

After a station was shuttered in May after firefighters complained about a bad odor, mold and water leaks, investigative reporters started delving into conditions at other firehouses. But, the city wasn't too willing to share the internal report.

However, the station persevered. 

While Station 4 appears fine from the outside, inside it's a different story.

Inspectors found the locker room urinal leaks into (the) closet and hallway.

The conditions in buildings where firefighters stay, eat and sleep during their shifts were the results  "mostly, deferred maintenance," admitted Mark Duluk, manager of the Mayor's Office of Capital Projects

It would cost about $10 million to bring stations to a "basic level of livability."

"We are marshaling whatever resources we currently have in hand to direct to whatever the most immediate needs of those stations are," he said.

Jake Konys, president of the Cleveland Fire Fighters Association, said Mayor Justin Bibb's administration has promised to improve conditions at the city's fire stations.

"We've gone through some tough times. We're really starting to see a plan come together that I believe is going to address these concerns," he said.