By Bill DiPaolo
The Palm Beach Post
JUPITER, Fla. — Firefighters are used to working with thousands of gallons of water… but not like this.
A vehicle hit an above-ground water pipe, spraying about 1,500 gallons of water a minute onto the roof and flooding the building at Palm Beach County Station 19 in Jupiter.
“The water inside was about a foot deep. The floor tiles were popping. The water was coming through the electric outlets. Trash cans were floating,” Capt. Tony Tozzi said.
Damage at Station 19 could be as high $400,000. Repairs are expected take about seven months, said Palm Beach County District Fire Chief Mike Wells.
The water was spraying about 30 minutes until repair crews were able to shut off the valve, Wells estimates.
The roof is surrounded by an 18-inch-high parapet with scuppers that slowly drain the water. That much water would weigh about 93 tons. The roof was not built to hold that much water, said Fire Rescue Capt. Albert Borroto.
“The structure is built to handle a normal Florida shower. I’m surprised that much water did not collapse the roof,” said Borroto.
When Palm Beach County Fire Rescue crews arrived just after midnight June 8, they found a vehicle against a tree in front of the station on the west side of North Central Boulevard, just north of Indiantown Road.
The driver, identified as Shane Luke Laplante, 20, had to be extricated from the vehicle. Laplante was flown to the trauma center St. Mary’s Medical Center in serious condition.
Laplante has not been charged, according to Jupiter Police.
County officials will seek monetary damages from the driver to pay for fire station repairs, Wells said.
The broken pipe was spraying water onto the flat, 3,000-square-foot roof of the northern part of the building. The water seeped into the kitchen, sleeping quarters and bathrooms, he added.
“It was pouring on the roof like it was coming out of a fire hose,” said Wells.
The standard kitchen appliances were ruined and firefighters are cooking on a microwave. Sleeping quarters were damaged and have been rearranged. The fire chief, who had his own sleeping quarters, now has a roommate.
The ceiling and drywall must be replaced along with the insulation. The roof damage is being assessed. Medical, kitchen and hurricane supplies must be replaced. Firefighters have borrowed a mobile unit that sleeps six from county’s Emergency Operations Center.
The fire station, which handles about 2,800 calls annually, will remain open with the usual personnel and equipment during repairs, said Wells.
“The public will not see a reduction in service,” Wells said.
Firefighter units who want do a little better for lunch or dinner than a microwave are allowed — one unit at a time — to go the county fire station at Military Trail and Frederick Small Road. Or they can head west on Indiantown Road to the station at Mack Dairy Road in Jupiter Farms.
Putting a mobile home that Station 19 firefighters could use to shower and cook is being considered, said Wells. Supplies from the other 50 Palm Beach County fire stations are being used to replenish Fire Station 19, he said.
Battlalion Chief Tony Tozzi and Emergency Medical Services Capt. Rob Southwood were at the station when the collision occured. The other five firefighters were out on a call and no one was injured.
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