Bloomington Fire Department ready to help after flooding

BLOOMINGTON, INDIANA – JUNE 21: Bloomington Fire Department Chief Jason Moore stands in a doorway to a basement workout room with debris from the flood creating a waterline above his head Monday. Moore said the department is assessing the damage but still responding to emergency calls. The basement was flooded during Friday night’s flash flood. (Photo by Jeremy Hogan/The Bloomingtonian)

Bloomington Fire Department Chief Jason Moore wants community members to know the fire department, despite flooding at the headquarters on 4th Street, is fully staffed and ready to help. Moore said the fire department is fully capable of responding to emergencies.

Moore said residents who have experienced flooding over the weekend may have issues as electrical devices are turned back on including electrical smells, and items not functioning correctly. If they have safety concerns they shouldn’t hesitate to call the fire department for help.

The basement of the HQ on 4th Street was filled with about 7-feet of water during Friday night’s flash flood, and communications equipment and computer servers were destroyed, but the dept has data and system backups, according to Moore.

Moore said he’s grateful the Graduate Hotel has assisted the fire department by providing hot showers for firefighters on duty, and a cooler place than the fire station for firefighters on shift to get some relief from the summer heat. The station is running on generator power so cooling the building is difficult. Cleanup crews were working the basement of the fire station to clean up the mess left behind by the flood, and damage to the building’s electrical system is being assessed.

A water line could be seen on the wall of the basement as Moore showed The Bloomingtonian the basement area, which was filled with water Friday night. Mud covered the floor as weights and workout equipment were still covered with a layer of silt.

The garage, which was filled with fire engines again, was dry Monday afternoon but had been covered with several inches of water Friday night.

BLOOMINGTON, INDIANA – JUNE 21: Workers clean a basement workout room at the Bloomington Fire Department headquarters Monday. The basement was flooded during Friday night’s flash flood. (Photo by Jeremy Hogan/The Bloomingtonian)
BLOOMINGTON, INDIANA – JUNE 21: Fire engines are parked in the now dry garage at the Bloomington Fire Department headquarters, which is also a fire station, Monday. The fire station was flooded during Friday’s flash flood. (Photo by Jeremy Hogan/The Bloomingtonian)
BLOOMINGTON, INDIANA – JUNE 21: A sign marked the stairs to the Bloomington Fire Department headquarters basement a hazard after flooding Monday. The basement was flooded during Friday night’s flash flood but has been drained, and workers are helping clean up. However, communications equipment, computer servers, and other items were destroyed by the floodwaters. (Photo by Jeremy Hogan/The Bloomingtonian)

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