CHESHIRE, Mass. — The fire station's meeting/training room is closed off because of concerns of a potential structural collapse.

 

Over the years, the fire station has had one problem after another and now officials are concerned about the room's structural integrity, deciding to close it last Thursday until it can be evaluated by a structural engineer. 

 

The training space hadn't been painted in more than two decades so officials decided to give it a bit of a "facelift," Fire Chief Thomas Francesconi said. 

 

However, this small project exposed something much more critical — the north wall appeared to be shifting away from the large steel I-beam. 

 

Upon further examination of the area, several larger issues stood out — including a large crack running up the concrete block wall above the bay door, a roughly 2-inch dip in the floor, and a shift in the exterior wall that has left it uneven.

 

There were too many things happening to not err on the side of caution, said Francesconi. Now that the area is exposed, this is the time to get it assessed to ensure that the wall's not moving or buckling, said Corey McGrath, department of public works director.

 

Around 2010, a company dug up around the station's foundation and installed support for the building. During that time, the contractors observed the north side of the building, the area believed to be shifting, was sinking into the ground, Francesconi said.