So what was the cause of all the hullabaloo over at Fire Station 16 at the corner of Richmond and Dunlavy that caused fire department officials to close it down for a few days earlier this month? A source told Swamplot on April 2nd that the building likely had foundation problems and was close to collapsing. Here’s what firefighters spotted:
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A few broken ceramic floor tiles had “popped up” on the second floor, according to a Click2Houston report. But inspectors didn’t find any associated structural damage. So the Montrose fire station was back in operation the following week.
- HFD Station Reopens After Safety Concern [Click2Houston]
- Previously on Swamplot: Breaking Fire Station News
Photos: Swamplot inbox (Fire Station 16) and Click2Houston (tiles)
Tiles buckling cause this panic? Really?
The return of sirens to the neighborhood is reassuring. It was hard to sleep without them, although the crack hos did their best to make up for the loss of siren noise.
The fire chief condemned the building and then he called the inspector? Wonder if he called the inspector after he condemned Wilshire Village? Maybe he did. She is probably still driving around trying to find it.
Matt, does this mean you were maybe a little too hasty in flinging the accusation that the fire marshall was somehow deliberately allowing a firehouse that should be condemned to remain in operation.
KJB434: “Tiles buckling cause this panic? Really?”
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I was told a couple of reasons why, by one of the senior firemen there. The tile was on the second floor and the building has shifted over its lifetime so much that the slide-poles began to bow.
He told me that back in the 90’s the city engineers came out, blessed the building, then trimmed the poles so that they didn’t bow anymore. When the tile started buckling, they feared that the building was shifting again.
Matt, does this mean you were maybe a little too hasty in flinging the accusation that the fire marshall was somehow deliberately allowing a firehouse that should be condemned to remain in operation.
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Means absolutely nothing of the sort.
I work at 16 when it opened and within one year the station started having serious structural and foundation problems. During the first year the Richmond side glass door was kept locked because of a unstable wall.
Forget the tile, go see the rest of the station’s condition! Part of the structure sits on piers and the apparatus slab is free floating and moves.