Nassim Benchaabane
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
RIVERVIEW, Mo. — This north St. Louis County suburb delayed first responders by closing streets without warning and damaged emergency vehicles with speed bumps that weren’t built to code, a lawsuit says.
Riverview made the changes without consulting the North County Fire Protection District as required by law and ignored the district’s protests afterward, the district said in a lawsuit filed last week in St. Louis County Circuit Court.
The city also has failed to notify that district about buildings that need to be inspected for fire hazards or occupancy permits, the suit says.
Riverview Mayor Mike Cornell, whose administration installed the speed bumps, did not respond to requests for comment.
The fire district is the seventh plaintiff suing Riverview, whose mayor was the subject of a Nov. 2 Post-Dispatch report detailing allegations he abused his office to enrich himself and retaliate against critics over the past three years. Six other plaintiffs are suing Cornell, alleging he sexually harassed employees, violated open records laws and ordered unlawful firings, arrests and subpoenas against people who criticized him.
Riverview has its own police department, but the North County Fire Protection District provides firefighting and emergency medical services. The taxpayer-funded agency also patrols all or parts of Bellefontaine Neighbors, Moline Acres, Jennings and Flordell Hills.
Fire protection districts have the authority under state law to regulate street designs and closures due to their potential impact on public safety services, the district’s lawsuit said. But Riverview never notified the district before installing the speed bumps.
The bumps weren’t built to the standards recommended by the International Fire Code and the National Fire Protection Association to accommodate emergency vehicles, which caused damage to North County emergency vehicles, the suit said.
The lawsuit did not provide more details about the delays or damages.
The fire district sent Riverview a letter on Aug. 20 warning the city that its street closures and speed bumps were impacting the district’s services, the suit said. North County Chief Keith Goldstein followed up with another letter Oct. 28.
Riverview ignored both letters, the lawsuit said. The petition asks a judge to bar Riverview from installing more speed bumps or closing streets without consulting the fire district.
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