By Paul Fallon
The Charleston Daily Mail
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The fire station closest to a tragic blaze that killed nine people over the weekend was recommended for closure in a recent study commissioned by the city of Charleston.
The study recommended Charleston City Council look at consolidating the crew of the fire station on Cora Street, which is in sight of 2 Arlington Ave., into another station, possibly the Lee Street West training center.
System Planning Corp’s TriData Division released its study of fire department efficiency to council members last summer. Firefighters from the Cora Street station were the first to arrive at the blaze, which killed seven children and two adults, Fire Chief Chuck Overstreet said.
City council has taken no action on any possible consolidation, Overstreet said. Such action likely would be a few years down the road, he said.
Overstreet formerly said he could support moving the station’s crew from Cora Street to a more centralized location because it is on the edge of the city and firefighters stationed there cannot cover as wide a radius as they could if stationed elsewhere.
In light of the Saturday tragedy on Arlington Avenue, Overstreet said he has revised his opinion.
“This has made me think about that a little bit more,” he said.
Overstreet said the station also covers a good portion of the West Side hill and he thinks it’s time to discuss whether it should be closed.
Overstreet was quick to point out that firefighters from the Cora Street station were on scene about two minutes after receiving the call and they still could not save the nine lives that were lost.
“I think we could have had everyone from the New York City Fire Department responding that night and it wouldn’t have changed the outcome,” he said.
The call came in about 3:20 a.m. Saturday. Initial reports indicated that firefighters arrived on the scene four minutes after receiving the call.
“We had about five guys on scene in about two minutes,” Overstreet said.
Had firefighters responded from the Lee Street West training center, Overstreet estimated it would have taken them a minute or two longer to reach the scene.
The Lee Street center is a little less than two miles from 2 Arlington Ave.
Overstreet said the West Side has more fires than any other section of Charleston. It has an abundance of older housing, which can burn quickly. That’s why he hopes council members will refrain from consolidating stations there.
“I just hope there’s a way to keep the Cora Street station where it is right now in the future,” he said.
Republican Councilman Mike Stajduhar represents the ward where the tragedy took place. He said he understands why the city considered consolidation but has been opposed to doing so.
“I understand that moving it to a more central location could be more efficient,” he said. “But on the other hand, you have a lot of houses in that area that are really susceptible to fire damage.
“If an area is more vulnerable to fire, then it deserves greater protection,” he said. “I think this needs to be looked at more closely.”
Mayor Danny Jones refused to comment on any possible fire station consolidations.
The TriData study also suggested consolidating the Bridge Road station with one on Oakwood Road off Corridor G. Officials have said these stations could be consolidated in a new station further down Oakwood Road near a convenience store.
Overstreet has always been, and remains, opposed to this consolidation, he said.
“Imagine if we had a bad fire up there in those hills,” he said. “The roads are narrow and even people that live in Charleston can get lost up there.”
Copyright 2012 Charleston Newspapers