By Darian Stevenson
syracuse.com
BARNEVELD, N.Y. — Kevin Kalk was filing paperwork in his office at the Barneveld Fire Department this weekend when he heard cracking noises.
Kalk went to investigate the sound and noticed the front wall — above the center, overhead door — was boughed out.
Two hours later, the whole building collapsed. Five minutes before, firefighters were on the roof trying to clear off snow.
“Many of us were standing within feet of the structure when it started to collapse,” said Kalk, the Barneveld Fire Department fire chief.
After hearing the crackling noises on Saturday, Kalk said he and others got to work moving equipment outside the building at 8530 Old Poland Rd. in Barneveld, a hamlet in Oneida County.
Firefighters were able to move all eight fire trucks and their turnout gear — the protective clothing worn by firefighters — out of the building, he said.
Firefighters were called in to begin shoveling as much snow as they could off the roof to lighten the load and to try to prevent the building from collapsing.
The department originally had planned to start removing snow on Sunday, Kalk said.
“We’re a 100% volunteer organization, our members work full-time jobs and have to handle snow removal at their own residences,” Kalk said. “They’ve also been very busy responding to calls.”
Oneida County’s Emergency Services Department — from Feb. 1 through Feb. 24 — responded to calls for collapsed buildings 34 times, according to Philip Vanno, the public information officer for the county. Vanno added the county is not allowed to go onto private property to assist businesses or homeowners in snow removal.
Oswego County has had more than 25 building collapses due to the heavy snow including a wire factory in Williamstown.
At Barneveld, the chief said they were monitoring the structural integrity of the building when they noticed it was deteriorating. They decided to have the members of the department shoveling snow come down.
Five minutes later, the building collapsed.
Firefighters weren’t able to get other essential equipment out before the building crumbled. The department’s skid tank for their UTV, submersible pumps used for flooded basements, hand tools and EMS equipment are still in the pile of rubble, Kalk said.
Kalk said the building is a complete loss and that it could take a year and half, maybe two, before the structure is rebuilt.
Despite no longer having a building, Kalk said the department is fully functioning. The trucks are stationed at the town of Trenton Highway Department for the time being.
“We’re fortunate that we had members in the station that heard the cracking and that we were able to get our apparatus out,” Kalk said. “Because, if we did not, the building could have collapsed with all of our trucks still inside, which would have made the loss probably $2 million in apparatus.”
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