Bloomington Fire Department Headquarters flood damage still being assessed
Bloomington’s downtown fire station will be closed for an unknown period of time, with personnel and apparatus reassigned to the other four city fire stations. During the extreme weather event of the past weekend, the Bloomington Fire Department headquarters facility, also known as Station 1, suffered severe flooding. Damage is still being assessed, but most significantly, flooding that filled the entire basement and part of the first floor degraded the building’s communication system and electrical system, including controls for the back-up generator for the facility, making the structure uninhabitable. After immediate work to remove all standing water as quickly as possible, an initial damage assessment by building engineers and additional experts in post-flood building recovery confirmed that the building will not be habitable for some time as repairs are further evaluated and addressed. Firefighters, command staff and the firefighting apparatus typically housed at Station 1 have relocated to other, existing fire stations and office space. The duration of the facility closure is not known at this time. Based on a careful reallocation of equipment and personnel, no significant delays in emergency response times are anticipated.
Flood Damages Bloomington Police Department Facility
The Bloomington Police Department (BPD) building at 220 East Third Street was damaged during the flooding that occurred in the downtown area Friday night into Saturday morning. The facility suffered significant damage to electronic and computer equipment that was located in the affected areas of the building. The estimated time to repair the damage is unknown. Normal operations are, for the most part, able to continue at the facility. All equipment and furnishings impacted by the flood waters are either being thoroughly cleaned and disinfected or disposed of, depending on the level of contamination. BPD Chief Mike Diekhoff and Mayor John Hamilton both credit the work of Officers and staff for responding quickly and working diligently even during off hours, to help protect their own headquarters during the storm
Author Jerry Lewis Johnson to Speak and Sign Copies of His Book Tonight at BuffaLouie’s
Lafayette Indiana native and Indiana University Graduate Jerry Lewis Johnson will be at BuffaLouie’s in Bloomington this evening from 6-7 PM to discuss and sign copies of his book “A Dark Night in the Fieldhouse”. The book is an historical fiction depicting the Indiana High School Basketball State Championship Game between Indianapolis Crispus Attucks and Gary Roosevelt in which it’s the first time that two all African American Schools competed together for a State Championship. After Brown versus Board of Education passed through the Supreme Court outlawing segregation in America and it was the game that changed basketball forever. The Story starts with the 1954 State Championship Game when Tiny Milan beat Muncie Central which was depicted in the movie Hoosiers, and has been mentioned as a sequel to the film. The Event is free and copies of the book will be available for purchase. BuffaLouie’s is located at 114 South Indiana Avenue across from the Indiana University Sample Gates.