Flagler Beach moves to replace failing fire station bay doors after recent failure

Flagler Beach commissioners and staff agreed the front bay doors at the city's fire station must be replaced as soon as possible after a third-party engineering assessment classified the doors as in critical condition. Chief Cox told the commission that a front bay door recently went out of service during an emergency call and a technician warned the broken springs and framing were dangerous. The assessment and recent operational failure prompted staff to seek funding and a contractor quickly. "Your door is dangerous between the springs''you need to get this replaced ASAP," Chief Cox told the commission. City staff estimated the work at about $70,000 and said they would try to declare an emergency to accelerate procurement; if that cannot be done, the work will be added to next year's capital plan. Commissioners and staff discussed repair-versus-replace options for the rear doors, noting some of the cited problems (bearings, tracks, wheels) are repairable. Chief Cox said the front doors are the most exposed to salt-air and storm risk and should be prioritized; staff said they will ask any contractor who bids on the front-door work to assess whether the rear doors can be economically repaired and report back. City Manager and staff described possible funding sources including reallocation within the current capital budget or tapping the infrastructure surtax if needed; they said scheduling lead time for custom station doors may be several weeks to months. If immediate emergency procurement is not possible, staff said the project will be added to the next capital year so replacement occurs within a short time frame. The commission directed staff to obtain quotes, pursue emergency replacement if justified, and report timing and funding sources at a follow-up meeting.