EPFD employees refuse to work in flooded maintenance shop
Employees with the City of El Paso’s fire department contacted ABC-7 to express their concerns over the condition of the department’s maintenance shop during Thursday’s storms.
The shop is located on the 8600 block of Montana in East Central El Paso. Video sent to ABC-7 shows several leaks inside the shop and water accumulating on the floor.
ABC-7 was invited into the facility Thursday. An ABC-7 photographer found two inches of water near gas and electric welding equipment. ABC-7 also spotted a softball-sized hole in the roof.
There were also water leaks coming down on to electrical breaker boxes. City workers told ABC-7 they refuse to climb on the roof to repair th hole in fear of falling through.
El Paso Fire Department Chief Mario M. D’Agostino emailed ABC-7 a statement in which he says the shop located at 8600 Montana was acquired by the City of El Paso in 1985.
“Over the past several years, the building’s roof has started to develop leaks. The City’s Streets and Maintenance Department has performed several repairs during that time,” D’Agostino said, “The Fire Department and the City of El Paso are aware of the roof’s continued deterioration and are taking steps to address it. As always, the safety of the members of the El Paso Fire Department is our topmost priority. Measures are in place to ensure the safety of all the employees working at the facility.”
