Bedford Park updates sprinkler system in fire headquarters
The Bedford Park Fire Department has completed a retrofit of fire sprinklers at the department’s headquarters, where firefighters cook, work and sleep.
The department reports 95% of the cost for the sprinkler installation was covered by a Federal Emergency Management Agency Assistance to Firefighters Grant.
“It has been a goal of mine to get this building retrofitted before I retire,” said fire Chief Sean Maloy. “Now I will have peace of mind knowing the crew is protected when they are on the job.”
The station was built in 1976, with an addition in 1992, totaling 16,500 square feet. It contains an ambulance and a fire engine, a hazmat squad, and two reserve engines. Five to six firefighters staff the fire station each day with three to four administrative staff on shift during the week. The station includes sleeping quarters to accommodate up to seven firefighters.
Maloy said every commercial building and a few residential homes in Bedford Park have sprinklers.
“I believe we should practice what we preach, which is why we made sure the other two stations were sprinklered when we designed and built them,” he said. “This retrofit was the last piece to the puzzle.”
The contractor for the project was United States Alliance Fire Protection, with foremen Dan Casey and Pat Sanders, third fitter Dan Rocks and engineer Frank Papisee. The four worked around the firefighters’ activities to install the fire sprinklers as the firefighters actively lived and worked in the station. Jamie Reap oversaw the project.
“The station is sleeping quarters for any number of these firefighters at any given time, and to have that level of comfort knowing that they have a fire protection system in place to take care of things is a really nice thought,” Reap said.