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Menands Village firehouse damaged in blaze; board approves emergency measures and restoration work
Summary
A fire at the Menands Village firehouse at 250 Broadway left the building damaged but caused no serious injuries, Mayor Marsh said. The board authorized emergency use of alternate facilities, hired a public adjuster and approved contracts for professional restoration as investigation and insurance work continue.
Mayor Marsh said a significant fire damaged the village firehouse at 250 Broadway but left no one seriously injured and praised mutual-aid responders for their work.
The mayor told the board the village has engaged fire investigators, engineers and insurance representatives and has hired a public adjuster to represent the village’s interests in the insurance process. "I am deeply grateful that no one was seriously injured," Mayor Marsh said, praising the speed and professionalism of responders and mutual-aid departments.
Why it matters: the fire affects the village’s emergency services and property, requires short-term relocation and creates immediate recovery costs and decisions about insurance reimbursement, repairs and temporary facilities.
The board approved several immediate measures by voice vote: temporary use of other facilities and apparatus (including Shaker Road apparatus and local community rooms), authorization to contract with professional fire-restoration services for police and fire department property, and acceptance of donated funds for rebuilding. The mayor said the village has begun coordinating with structural engineers and expects a preliminary engineering report to appear in the board folder for the next meeting.
Board members discussed adding a temporary procurement policy to allow chiefs to make emergency purchases up to an agreed dollar limit when the insurance adjuster approves reimbursement, rather than waiting for the next board meeting. The board also discussed a planned vehicle purchase to support firefighter transport and training; trustees asked for vehicle specifications to be submitted for board review.
The mayor said the village will pursue grant funding and has identified an application to Albany County Soil and Water Conservation for up to $40,000 with a 10% local match to rebuild a storm culvert related to the South End project that was not included in the project's scope. He also reported that initial communications with insurers indicate a potential usable insurance fund in the range of $500,000 to $1 million to begin recovery activities.
The board will receive a Labella preliminary engineering report on the fire and meet again with the insurance adjuster; a follow-up update and any additional formal actions will be presented at the next meeting.
Ending: Investigators continue to determine the fire’s cause; the village has hired consultants and approved restoration work to restore operations and protect public safety.
