By:David Koch
BORDENTOWN TOWNSHIP An inspection by the state has found 77 fire code violations at the Derby Fire House, rendering the kitchen and the hall area of the fire station unusable until the violations are corrected.
An inspection Aug. 31 by officials from the state Division of Fire Safety, found 63 maintenance violations and 14 retrofit violations at Derby Fire House.
Maintenance violations are problems in the normal upkeep of any fire facility. Examples of these violations at the Derby Fire House include exposed combustible insulation, light fixtures that need to be remounted, open junction boxes and ceiling tiles that need to be replaced, said Bill Cane, director for the Division of Fire Safety.
Retrofit violations are items now needed in a firehouse that were not required when the building was constructed. Those violations at Derby include no illuminated signs for exits and wooden paneling in the halls. A state retrofit code requires that all wooden paneling have a flame-spread retardant.
Officials from the Derby Volunteer Fire Company were unable to be reached for comment.
Fire inspections at Derby conducted by local officials in years past found approximately 10 violations, said Mark Roselli, the deputy mayor of Bordentown Township.
Mr. Roselli also said some of the violations found by the state’s inspection in August were violations from previous years.
Mr. Roselli said he was advised that the inspection last year was conducted by a fire official from Florence, and the 1999 inspection was performed by Capt. Joseph Herzberg, fire captain for Bordentown Fire District Number Two.
That fire district leases an office and a fire engine room at the firehouse from Derby, said Mr. Herzberg.
"I question why the two previous years only had 10 violations, and where was the enforcement?" said Mr. Roselli.
Mr. Herzberg called the state this year to conduct the inspection, said Mr. Roselli.
Mr. Herzberg said that he could not do the inspection this year due to a conflict of interest, since he works for Fire District Number Two.
"The building is getting older," said Mr. Herzberg when asked why the number of violations for the firehouse increased this year. "The fire code has been changed. There have been a whole lot of reasons."
Mr. Roselli said that he has requested a copy of the fire inspection from this year and previous years and has not received them yet.
"I have asked to see the violations to work with Assemblyman (Joe) Malone (R-30th) and try to find revenue sources to make corrections," said Mr. Roselli.
Derby has 30 days to correct the firehouse violations. State fire officials are expected to reinspect the property some time during the first week of October, said Mr. Cane.
"I hope that all maintenance items have been taken care of and that most retrofit items have been take care of, and/or they provide us with a time frame when they will be fixed" said Mr. Cane.
The maximum penalty for continued violations after the 30-day period could be a $1,000 a day for each violation, said Mr. Cane. The fines would have to be paid by Derby Volunteer Fire Company.
"I’m not looking to collect from a volunteer fire company," said Mr. Cane. "What I’m about, and what the division is about, is compliance with the fire code and safety for the fire officials."

