'We Got It Done': After $200,000 In Repairs, New CFD Training Tower Just About Ready
CHICAGO (CBS) -- A million dollars of taxpayer money was spent to build a training tower for firefighters — a project that began five years ago.
What's happened since then?
Two years after the 2 Investigators first reported on the million-dollar tower -- and after more than $200,000 in repairs -- the Chicago Fire Department says the tower is just about ready.
It's supposed to be a training ground for firefighters. It was built with Homeland Security money.
But the project stalled when the Chicago Fire Department discovered "significant design and construction defects."
An expert CBS 2 interviewed two years ago agreed.
"It could conceivably collapse," said structural engineer Allen Gold.
The 2 Investigators showed Gold photos of the defects, including split and bulging beams and walls made of wood and plastic instead of steel.
"Shouldn't have happened," Gold added.
The contractor, Tactical Structures, already had collected $1 million when its contract was canceled.
Deputy Fire Commissioner Don Hroma said he was "frustrated" by what happened to the project.
Hroma who oversaw the fixes, recently took the 2 Investigators on a top to bottom tour of the tower, showing off new and repaired support columns, reinforced walls, and rooms like an attic created to facilitate various rescue training needs.
Hroma acknowledges he was left with a mess to clean up, but adds, "We got it done ... We got it done."
But did they?
There's still work to be done inside this tower, including the installation of a system that creates smoke to simulate fire rescue conditions.
But where there will be smoke there will not be fire.
"It was never designed to light this building on fire," said Hroma.
Why? Because of risks to nearby buildings, city regulations prohibit setting the tower on fire.
So, real fire suppression training still must be done at locations outside the city, but other rescue training at the tower can still be done.
Like how to do forcible entries, search and rescue, hose lead-outs, ladder rescues, and ventilation measures, according to Hroma.
But we noticed more fixes are needed. On our tour, the 2 Investigators noticed a section of a wall that appeared damaged.
"They didn't seal the top of the wall, and because this is a training tower ,and we throw a lot of water in here, the wall filled with water," said Hroma. "The water froze and swelled."
"There was some unfortunate circumstances while this building was constructed, but we weathered through them, and we finally got a structure," Hroma added.
When pressed as to whether the tower is ready, Hroma said, "It is, it is ready."
Hroma says some training has already started, and they're looking for additional funding to create props like bedroom furniture and kitchen cabinets to simulate different fires. SWAT teams and suburban firefighters will also use the tower.