MIAMI (WSVN) – Miami Police and Fire Rescue facilities are in dire need of repair due to concerning conditions, and the cost to fix them is hefty.
7News cameras toured Fire Station 1 on Wednesday. Built in 1962, the Miami station is the birthplace of fire rescue.
But decades later, the station is filled with rust, mold, and even multiple leaks, visible nearby where fire crews rest.
“The station is 64 years old in the urban core of Miami and has suffered decades of deferred maintenance,” said Miami Fire Rescue Chief Robert Hevia.
To repair and replace Miami Fire Rescue and Police facilities, City of Miami Mayor Eileen Higgins proposed a $450 million bond based on a bond rate Miami voters already approved.
The bond amount will go toward building a new police headquarters, repairing or renovating all fire stations, and adding four new fire stations while rebuilding two others.
“We have the ability to add police and fire and the bonding capacity to repair and replace what we need with fire and with police,” said City of Miami Mayor Eileen Higgins.
At Fire Station 5, there is visible damage from the last 50 years.
“We had to get a structural engineer to cut out the station to make that modification so the actual fire truck can fit inside the station,” said Hevia.
Officials said the air conditioner failed this past Saturday, and other stations have their own challenges as well.
“When they come back to the station, we don’t have a running sanitary line for them. We have a portable bathroom. We don’t have an air conditioner that works for them. At the end of the day, they’re still human. It’s going to affect the morale,” said Hevia.
As for the Miami Police Department, the years haven’t been kind to the 50-year-old home of the department.
In their evidence room, empty shelves lined the bottom of the cabinet because water was rising through the drainage.
“You can see the rust on the shelves because of the exposure to the water, and it is an impediment to efficient workflow when you can’t use part of your space.” Miami Police Chief Manny Morales.
In the homicide unit, they have been dealing with leaks for the past four years. Even going so far as to use duct tape to seal the window shut.
“We’ve rigged it to funneling the water into the garbage can when it rains,” said Morales.
The chief said it is heartbreaking to see his police colleagues having to deal with these deteriorating conditions.
“It doesn’t inspire confidence, right? In the professionalism of the city of Miami. It’s just heartbreaking to see the men and women who come in here and have to put up with these conditions when it is raining,” said Morales.
On Thursday, City of Miami commissioners will vote on whether or not to put the mayor’s referendum on the ballot.
“You’ve said this won’t raise taxes, but will the taxpayers feel any impact on this long term?” asked the 7News reporter.
“What we’re asking them to do is to let us continue our current bond rate, which is already approved. They’ve already approved that. But we will need to keep that going for a few more years to complete those projects. So the bond rate will not be increased in any way, but we gotta have their permission to keep using it and to add police and fire,” said Higgins.
When asked whether this bond could also be used for housing, Higgins said the city has funds from the Miami Forever Bond, approved in 2017, to address that issue.
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