The Block Island Volunteer Fire and Rescue Department sees the condition of the Fire Barn's garage doors as a safety issue, and will go to the Town Council with a plan to replace them.
Member Mark Kildea reported on his contacts with garage door companies and presented a quote at the monthly membership meeting on February 13. The members unanimously approved a motion to hire the Overhead Door firm to replace all four garage doors in the town-owned building and seek funding for the work from the Town's budget, instead of using the non-profit fire company's own funds.
The quoted price, $18,700, includes removing the existing doors, replacing them with new insulated doors with some glass panels, installing commercial-grade motors and springs, and installing “panic buttons” to allow the dispatcher to open any or all of the doors remotely. The company may be willing to add a wireless control to allow the dispatcher to open the Rescue Barn's doors also.