SOUTHFIELD, Mich. (WXYZ) — There are five fire stations located around the city of Southfield but mold has recently forced the temporary closure of one of them.
Fire Station 3, located on West 12 Mile Road near Evergreen, was closed on October 18. Station 3 covers the northeast area of the city as well as Lathrup Village.
In a Facebook post that day, the City of Southfield indicated that the fire station would be closed for 48 hours to "remediate mold that resulted from a water leak."
But six days later, Fire Station 3 remains closed.
"I'm personally a little concerned because if we have a fire, it's going to take longer for them to help us," said Tracy Mareno.
A Southfield firefighter, who did not want to be identified, said the mold is sparking concern about its potential impact on health as well as concerns about response times taking longer.
In response to someone's question on Facebook last week about a delayed response, the City of Southfield wrote that "the Southfield Fire Department is not expecting or experiencing any delays in normal response times for the area."
But today, in response to an inquiry from 7 Action News, city spokesperson Michael Manion acknowledged that there might be a "slight delay" due to the temporary closure of Station 3.
Firefighters said the issues are not just at Station 3. Video sent to Action News shows water coming through the ceiling of what is reported to be Station 1, hitting overhead light fixtures.
In a statement, Manion said that the City is "also aware of water issues and cracks resulting from a broken roof drain and plumping issues at Fire Station #1, and is currently working on repairing this as well."
Work at Fire Station 3 is expected to be completed by the end of this week.
Fire Chief Johnny Menifee said that work at Station 3 is taking longer than expected because of water damage and an additional pipe needed repair.
The following is the full statement from Michael Manion, Community Relations Director for the City of Southfield:
A small amount of mold was identified last week at Southfield Fire Station #3 located at 20135 W. 12 Mile Road. As a result, the station is currently closed while remediation takes place which is expected to be completed by the end of the week. In the interim, personnel and resources have been relocated at other stations to help minimize response times and citywide coverage, including Lathrup Village. The Southfield Fire Department may experience a slight delay to emergency response due to the temporary closure. The City is also aware of water issues and cracks resulting from a broken roof drain and plumping issues at Fire Station #1, and is currently working on repairing this as well.
