KINGSTON, N.Y. — The city will use nearly $46,000 from its contingency fund to replace the air conditioning units and repair the masonry at two of its fire stations.
During a meeting Tuesday, the Common Council unanimously adopted two resolutions, one authorizing the city to use $17,900 to replace the air conditioning units at Kingston Fire Department Station 2, and the other to use $27,800 to repair the masonry at Station 2 and Station 3.
Kingston Fire Chief Chris Rea previously told aldermen that it has been upwards of 20 years since the replacement of the air conditioning unit at Station 2, located on Frog Alley in Uptown. That unit replaced the original one that dated back to the 1970s, he said. Rea said the newer unit is now inoperable and replacement parts are nonexistent.
Two small window units were installed but are grossly undersized for the space, Rea said. He said the funding would allow for mini split units to be installed in the station, which will provide both air conditioning and heating.
During Tuesday’s meeting, Alderman Tony Davis said the city’s firefighters need a place to properly cool off, especially after returning from handling an emergency situation or a fire.
“It’s very important that they have new air conditioning in the station,” Davis, D-Ward 6, said.
As for the masonry work, Rea previously told aldermen it has been more than 15 years since any work has been done on any of the firehouses in Kingston. He said the ice storm in February brought to light the conditions of the brick veneer covering both Station 2 and Station 3, located on Garraghan Drive in Downtown. Bricks were pulled away from the buildings and while they have since been pushed back into place, they are not secured, Rea said.
Rea said the city should hire a masonry company to repair the brick veneers to minimize any future damage.
