Reopening of Old City Firehouse Nears, Nearly a Year After Major Fire

By Justin Udo

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Repairs and upgrades to the Ladder 2 firehouse, at Fourth and Arch Streets in Old City, are almost complete, ten months after fire ripped through the facility.

There were no deaths or injuries, but the blaze caused enough damage to put the firehouse out of service for nearly a year.

"They're currently conducting major renovations and repairs to the facility," says Philadelphia Fire Department executive chief Peter Crespo.  "The apparatus-floor ceiling has been completely replaced.  (We are) upgrading the building functions in the facility itself: all new central air, major kitchen upgrades, all new electrical windows on the Fourth Street side, and just more enviromentally friendly as well."

Crespo says the firefighters who are assigned to that ladder company are anticipating their return home.

"They're just excited that the facilities are going to be newer and everything is going to be updated," he tells KYW Newsradio.

And Crespo says he expects the firehouse to be back in operation before the end of August.

In:
• KYW Newsradio 1060
• Philadelphia Fire Department
• Philadelphia