District Offices - 1621 Riverton Road Cinnaminson, NJ 08077

Water Tower Construction and Safety Preparedness

So why do the members of the Cinnaminson Fire Department have to be concerned about the refinishing of the Pomona Road Water Tower?


Below is a Notice that was distributed to the members of the fire department by the CFD Special Operations Lieutenant Philip Drangula that will answer that question:


“As you can see from the photos, the tank has scaffolding completely surrounding the base and tank along with wrapping of the scaffolding. This wrapping will be used to seal the tower to allow for a controlled environment of the tank so the company can perform work. There will be air dryers and heaters running on site which are powered by diesel and propane.


There will be employees of Alpine Tank performing sand blasting, welding, and cutting operations. There will be work performed on the exterior and interior of the tank. Once all repairs are completed there will be a coating (paint) process that will start.


Access to the interior of the tank is limited to the top of the tank. Therefore, if there is an emergency inside the tank crews will need to make their way up to the top of the tower to make access into the tank.


There is a single set of stairs in the center of the scaffolding to allow crews to make it to the top.


If operating on the scaffolding, helmets, gloves, harness, and tie offs will be required for fall protection.


In addition, all should be aware of the use of flammable materials including paints and various types of fuels.


We are in the process of developing a detailed preplan along with setting up walkthroughs of the project.


Incident Commanders: In the event that there is an incident you must notify Central to dispatch the County Technical Rescue Team along with the Rescue from Cherry Hill Fire Department for assistance.”


As you can see, your fire department is responsible for much more than fighting a fire. Our Confined Space Rescue Team and other CFD responders need to ensure that they are familiar and prepared to handle any emergency, inside or outside, while the water tower is being refurbished.


If you are interested in becoming a member, please visit our website at www.cinnaminsonfire.org. There you will find the various categories of membership and can select the one that interests you.


If you have any questions, please contact us at 856-829-5220.