Cold weather related incidents continue to play havoc with even municipal departments in Michigan’s Great Southwest this week. Two such incidents were discovered in the last 24 hours that could have proven considerably more catastrophic had they gone undetected or unchecked.
The first incident occurred last night when bitter cold temperatures caused water pipes to burst inside the Covert Community Fire Station last night. Covert Fire Chief Doug Myers says the freezing temperatures took their toll right in the middle of a class going on at the fire station last night when a sprinkler alarm sounded, after a sprinkler system water pipe burst in the attic area of the station causing some flooding. Fortunately, the alarm and fast action by firefighters in the building mitigated the system before it got too far out of control.
With water coming from the ceiling as the alarm sounded, firefighters quickly discovered the source of the issue and shut the water to the building off, limiting the damage to the building. Contractors are now busy addressing the issue and establishing preventative solutions going forward.
Meanwhile, in Allegan County another alarm system sounded off around 10am this morning, alerting officials to the possibility of elevated carbon monoxide levels in the Allegan County Human Services Building, located at 3255 122nd Avenue in Allegan.
The building was quickly evacuated and tested, as fire service personnel responded rapidly and confirmed levels were elevated in some areas. A ventilation fan was found to be inoperable, and authorities say that no actual gas leaks were found.
Temporary ventilation equipment was put into place, and as a further precaution, the building has been closed to allow the necessary repairs to be made. No injuries occurred and no symptoms have been reported by anyone who had been working in the building at the time of the incident and alarm. Mechanical Repairs are expected to be completed today (or through the weekend if necessary) and the building is expected to reopen on Monday, January 8, 2018.
As a result of that alarm and activity, the following Allegan County offices will be closed for the remainder of the day and will reopen for normal business hours on Monday, January 8, 2018:
- Health Department
- Parks & Recreation
- Senior/Veterans Services
The Allegan location of the Michigan Works! office and the State of Michigan Department of Human Services Allegan location occupy space in the Allegan County Human Services Building. Those agencies are providing notification regarding their services and are also impacted by the closure.
