Timeline: A Wild April for the Maplewood Fire Station

The Maplewood Fire Station is suddenly at the center of Malden politics again. Here’s a breakdown of what’s happened to move the aging station into the spotlight:

• On April 12, the fire command staff pleaded with the Public Buildings Committee to move forward with planning a replacement for the 108-year-old building. Mayor Richard Howard sent the committee a memo outlining the city’s position that building owner Mystic Valley Charter School should foot the bill for a roof replacement and other measures needed to make the facility watertight. The committee agreed to tour the facility.
• Before the tour, however, a self-administered , paid for by City Councilor Deb Fallon, showed up on the fire union’s website Sunday night, April 17. The report showed several strains of mold present in the building. Director of Public Health Chris Webb said the test, which required using a Petri Dish to save and send a sample to a Florida lab, showed common mold spores, but that a more official test would be required to pinpoint where and what kinds of mold were present in the building. The completed test could be compared to a home pregnancy test. 
• on April 19 included city, fire and Mystic Valley Regional Charter School officials, and the gathered officials seemed resigned to close the building rather than spend the money needed to replace the roof and seal the brick exterior. City Councilor and Public Building Committee Chair Paul Condon said he’d schedule a meeting with Murphy and Mayor Richard Howard to discuss closing the building.
• That happened the next day, April 20, at the order of Fire Chief Michael Murphy. Firefighters began the move to Overlook Ridge Station that day.
• By that Saturday, April 23, City Councilors and Finance Committee members Neil Kinnon and Jim Nestor held their own tour of the building, and felt the . So what’s next for the station? The Public Safety Committee, chaired by Kinnon, meets on Wednesday, April 27, and has asked Murphy to appear to explain his thought process in closing the station. That’s a day later than originally scheduled.