West Amwell unit failed to meet latest deadline.
By: Linda Seida
WEST AMWELL The West Amwell Fire Company failed to meet a deadline Tuesday to fix state fire safety violations because it needs to come up with about $20,000 for a major purchase.
Fire Chief Randy Hoagland said the company needs an extension of at least several weeks.
Tuesday’s deadline already represented an extension, which was given when the fire company could not meet the original Aug. 17 deadline. When an inspector from the Department of Community Affairs’ Division of Fire Safety inspected the firehouse on Mount Airy Village Road on July 17, she found eight maintenance violations and two retrofit violations, according to division spokesman Chris Donnelly.
Mr. Donnelly was unavailable Tuesday before The Beacon’s deadline to say whether another extension will be granted. The retrofit violations include the installation of an automatic fire-suppression system and hood system over the cooking area, as well as the treatment of interior finishes with a flame-retardant coating. The firehouse is used as a banquet facility, and the Ladies Auxiliary cooks there, prompting the need for the hood and flame-retardant paint.
No penalties have been issued, according to Mr. Donnelly.
The fire company was given until Aug. 17 to fix the violations. An inspector visited again Aug. 5 and granted an extension until Sept. 19.
The fire company needs to come up with between $15,000 and $20,000 to pay for the stove hood, Chief Hoagland said.
He said he isn’t yet sure how the company will afford the expense. The company is gathering estimates and intends to discuss the problem with the auxiliary and the township, he said.
It also took a while to find a flame-retardant paint that is transparent, Chief Hoagland said. He found one manufactured by Sherwin-Williams, which he said will cost about $90 a gallon. The total purchase price of the paint will be about $2,000, he estimated Tuesday. The company has not received the paint yet.
Township Clerk Lora Olsen couldn’t give a dimension for the area that needs to be painted, but she called it "considerable." Chief Hoagland, too, did not have a figure for the square footage that needs to be treated with the special paint.
The fire company preferred a clear coating because it will preserve the look of the knotty pine interior. The company does not want to cover it up with a colored paint, Chief Hoagland said.
In addition to the flame-retardant coating and the stove hood, the fire company also had to fix some electrical violations. Ms. Olsen said the electrical work totaled about $1,300. Among other items, the work included a broken outlet and an inoperable light.

