School Board Member: Firefighters Caused More Damage To School Than Expected

One Neshaminy School Board member isn’t pleased local firefighters training on a former school building allegedly racked up $21,400 in damage.

Board member Mike Morris said he was concerned firefighters the district let train on the former Tawanka School on Brownsville Road in Lower Southampton reportedly caused more damage than they were expected to.

An official from Reynolds Construction Group said the firefighters were expected to cut one hole in the roof of the school. They were also expected to “bang some doors and spray water in the building.”

After the training ended, construction crews said they found firefighters ripped asbestos contaminated blackboards from the walls of the school, cut 13 holes in the roof and left shattered glass throughout the closed school, which was demolished in the days after the training took place.

The cost to the district comes from the extra work construction crews had to put in to clean the building for liability reasons and also sealing holes to aid in the demolition process.

Morris and board member Mark Shubin both asked the administration to look further into the issue. Morris cited his support for firefighters but concern the school district has to shell out money to clean up the damage. Both said they worried about the liability the district faced if someone was hurt on the debris or comes down with an asbestos-related illness.

Board member Steve Pirritano said the governing body approved the training in summer, which Board President Scott Congdon agreed with.

The district’s solicitor said he was unaware of a written agreement with the fire companies.

Lower Southampton Fire Marshal Bill Oettinger, who previously served on the school board before being elected to the Middletown Board of Supervisors, told LevittownNow.com he was unaware of a written agreement but said area fire officials met with representatives from the district prior to the training.

“First I’m hearing of a problem. No one from the school board reached out to me,” said Oettinger.

Crews from fire companies in Falls Township, Langhorne, Lower Southampton, Penndel, Middletown, Northampton, Upper Southampton and Warminster all took part in the various training drills held at the school.

Oettinger called the training volunteer firefighters received “invaluable.”

Photos on the Lower Southampton Fire Department website appear to show some of the training taking place at the school. 

The chief of the fire company who reportedly coordinated the training did not return a request for comment.

The elementary school was torn down to make way for a new $26 million building that will house up to 800 students when it opens.