For the first time in 16 years, Dothan’s central fire station will be operating out of the building on East Burdeshaw Street that for years had served as a fire station and housed the department’s administrative offices.
That station was closed after Fire Station #1 relocated in 2000 to a renovated building on Columbia Highway, a building that has been temporarily closed since last fall due to mold.
Effective Friday, Paramedic Engine #1 and its crew will be working from the East Burdeshaw Street location while repairs are made to the building on Columbia Highway.
“This move, for the duration of the remediation project was the most effective and economical way to provide the very best service to our citizens,” Dothan Fire Chief Larry Williams said in a statement.
A timeline has not been determined on completion of repairs to the central fire station.
According to a preliminary analysis, the cause of the mold was high humidity in the station due to a heavy infiltration of air from the outside. The infiltration was so heavy that the station’s HVAC system could not regulate humidity levels inside the station.
Mold was detected in the station’s locker room and storage room, along with other places throughout the station.
Earlier estimates for repairs ranged from between $290,000 and $410,000.