A hot water pipe bursting and soaking much of the Wiscasset Police Dept. over the weekend will not deter officers from enforcing the law, said police administrator Lt. John Allen.
Emergency Medical Technician Marcie Lovejoy noticed water emanating from beneath the door leading to the police department into the ambulance center Saturday afternoon.
Lovejoy called the Lincoln County Communication Center for help and when officer Don Smith opened the door, they were in for a surprise.
Police video showed water flowing from the ceiling into the police department offices, starting at around 11:30 Saturday morning, washing down onto the floor and down along the walls.
They found out a hot water pipe broke. It ruined office computers and soaked piles of paperwork. Fire, ambulance, and police personnel moved equipment and salvaged office materials, storing it all in another room on the same floor. A subsequent inspection revealed soaked insulation and carpeting. Ceiling tiles had fallen apart and landed on the floor.
“You couldn’t see your hand in front of your face,” Allen said, recalling the steamy atmosphere inside the police station office.
He said they had to punch a hole in the entryway wall to drain off the water that had leaked inside. A light fixture had loosened from a ceiling tile and many of the other tiles were crumbling and showed watermarks. Allen said he thinks they will have to replace the floor tiles as well. He said the hot water likely softened the glue holding the tiles in place and they will eventually come up off the floor.
He said he has been in contact with a Maine Municipal Association insurance adjuster to determine the extent of the damage. Allen said he could not say for sure how much was lost or how much the repair will cost.
He said computers were damaged from all of the water and isn’t sure about the condition of the other computer they are currently using. They can’t print from the one computer personnel are using in a back room and Allen said they need certain equipment to get back up and running again.
“It’s just a temporary setback,” Allen said, adding the police records are still safe.
He said they also have files on another computer’s hard drive at the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office.
“We’ll still be out enforcing the law,” Allen said. “We still have our cars.”
