TOWN OF PAMELIA, N.Y. (WWNY) – When Pamelia firefighters returned from pumping water out of residents’ basements following recent storms, volunteers found their own station in distress.

“So this is the briefing room, our training room. When we came back from one of the pumping calls, we noticed that there was water out here,” said Assistant Chief Howard O’Brien.

He says the water was five centimeters deep after last Friday’s flash floods. That also happened during the storms in July.

“We want to take care of it as best we can. However, we have an obligation to the community to provide the service they expect from us. It’s just heartbreaking to know that something is still setting us back with the facility that we have,” O’Brien said.

The fire department has purchased a dehumidifier but says it cannot afford to fix the major water damage, which could cost between $30,000 and $70,000.

“No, we do not have the funds, and even if it were earlier in the year, we could not afford this repair to maintain our current level of service,” O’Brien said.

The Pamelia Volunteer Fire Department says there is another option: building a new facility on the site of their old fire station. That would cost at least $1.2 million.

O’Brien says to accomplish this, the department would need state and federal grants.

On Friday, a representative from Congresswoman Elise Stefanik’s office listened to the events and inquired about the damage.

O’Brien says the department’s insurance won’t cover the damage. He hopes the area will be declared a disaster zone so money from Washington can help the department rebuild.

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