The Rock Community Fire Protection District has reopened House 3 after temporarily closing it to remove mold and complete other repair projects.
Chief Kevin Wingbermuehle said crews again started working out of House 3 at 3540 Lonedell Road west of Arnold on Jan. 13. It had closed on Nov. 7.
“I am very pleased with the work that has been done, and several firefighters have commented to me on how good it looks,” Wingbermuehle said.
The Board of Directors voted 3-0 on Oct. 13 to pay $229,238 for the project, which included mold remediation, dry wall replacement, remodeling, electric and concrete work, Wingbermuehle said.
However, the project will cost more than that because other problems were found during construction, Wingbermuehle said.
A water heater needed to be replaced, and repairs to the building’s exterior drain and concrete were needed.
“One of the recommendations was to hydroflush a drain that runs across the front of the property,” Wingbermuehle said. “When attempting to do so, it was discovered that the original pipe had deteriorated to the point of needing replacement. This work was completed, but I don’t have a final (cost) for this yet.”
He also said the district is waiting for its insurance company to tell it how much of the work is covered under Rock Fire’s policy and how much the district will have to pay for project.
Because of the health risk associated with the mold problem and numerous other projects that needed to be completed on House 3, Rock Fire did not solicit bids for each project and instead hired Wachter Construction of Arnold as a general contractor, Wingbermuehle said.
“Wachter Construction has been great to work with,” he said. “They kept me informed throughout the project and worked to reduce costs without sacrificing the quality of work.”
The problems at House 3 were discovered in 2020 following work to replace the building’s leaking roof. Mold growth was found in the building, Wingbermuehle said.
Wingbermuehle said growth was found mainly in the building’s kitchen and laundry areas.
He also said a broken sewer pipe in front of the house’s engine bay needed to be repaired, and because of the concrete work in front of the door, there was no access to the bay, requiring the station’s closure.
“Our firefighters are proud of their stations and equipment. Keeping them healthy reduces absenteeism, and keeping our facilities in order improves morale,” Wingbermuehle said.
Rock Fire covers parts of Arnold, Kimmswick, Imperial and Barnhart. It has five houses, including two in Arnold, two in the Arnold area and one in Imperial.
House 3 covers the area from Hwy. 141 to Hwy. 21; Hwy. 21 to East Rock Creek Road; East Rock Creek Road to Gary Road; Old Lemay Ferry Road to Vogel Road and Old Missouri State Road to Lonedell Road, Wingbermuehle said.
While the house was closed, two crews worked out of House 4, 3889 Miller Road, which is in the Arnold area just more than 2 miles south of House 3.
Wingbermuehle said he was proud of the way firefighters handled the disruption.
“Our members handled this professionally, as they do with anything asked of them,” he said. “All the necessary pieces were in place to limit the impact on services before the work began. Station 4 accommodated the additional personnel moving in from Station 3, and I appreciate the support from Saline Valley Fire Protection District expanding their responses to ensure the closest firetruck arrived in outlying areas.”