The town's fire engines and ladder trucks have been parking on the street since state officials, concerned about asbestos, halted repair work to the floor of the main fire station on Washington Street at the beginning of the month.
Inspectors from the Massachusetts Division of Occupational Services, responding to complaints about noise and dust coming from the station Oct. 2, found pipe insulation damaged by waterblasting in the garage contained asbestos and suspended work there.
"We ordered that the blasting work, which was stopped at the time of the inspection, not be resumed until existing contamination could be cleaned up and safeguards were put in place to prevent further damage," said a statement released yesterday by Linnea Walsh, spokesman for the state Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development. "Town officials, who were present during the inspection, complied with this request."
The statement said the state was recommending the town use a "licensed Asbestos Abatement Planner" to assess the contamination and develop a cleanup plan.
Town Administrator William Keegan yesterday said the contractor working on the fire station floor, Norwood-based CJM Services, had taken responsibility for the damage and agreed to make repairs.
"They needed to take down a section of the floor and a machine they were using malfunctioned and created damage inside the building," Keegan said. "We are working to rectify the damage."
Calls to CJM Services were not returned.
Keegan said after work was halted, the state Department of Environmental Protection was called in to inspect the site and come up with a cleanup plan. He said the town is waiting for the DEP to deliver that report before work can begin again.
Fire Chief James Driscoll said yesterday problems with the firehouse floor were not hindering the department's ability to fight fires, but did impact how it stored its vehicles.
"We are making contingency plans in case it takes a while," Driscoll said.
Keegan said the town's primary concern was getting the work done before the onset of winter, so trucks would not need to be parked outdoors.
"We are hoping to be back online next week and have the project done by Thanksgiving," said Keegan, "but are looking at what to do if that does not happen."
Yesterday the fire station garage was dark and empty, with rubble covering the floor.
Firefighters working in the main station have not been displaced by the work, but may need to be relocated temporarily when work resumes, Keegan said.
Dedham firefighters contacted about the condition of the station said they could not comment about it.
Town officials have discussed replacing the fire station for years, because of its condition and space constraints.
Patrick Anderson can be reached at 781-433-8336 or panderso@cnc.com.
