HILLSDALE—A minor flood in the police department headquarters during an intense rain storm Sept. 8 has caused the temporary relocation of police headquarters, Capt. Sean Smith told Pascack Press.
Smith said that the police headquarters, its offices and hallways, took water damage from the rain that pounded Hillsdale that day.
“We are now operating in another location in Borough Hall. If you need to visit the station, please enter the vestibule and use the intercom to get our communication center — an officer will assist you. We want to assure you that there will be no interruption in police services while this situation gets remediated. The H.P.D. remains 100% committed to the citizens of Hillsdale,” the department posted on Oct. 2.
Smith said while generally only an inch or two of water got inside the facility, drywall throughout the facility received water damage leading to mold growth. He said water got into areas that it had not previously affected.
He said a professional cleaning service was called in and when they cut sheetrock down in one area, they found more extensive mold growth — likely from earlier infiltration.
He said some officers had previously come down with symptoms such as allergies and headaches while in the building and said there would be further air quality testing.
It was not clear what costs might be involved in the remediation and renovations, but much was likely covered by municipal insurance via the Joint Insurance Fund, police officials said.
Smith said the mold was tested and found to be one the “least dangerous” types, but to protect employees, office operations were moved temporarily inside the Borough Hall, at 380 Hillsdale Ave. He said efforts are ongoing to treat and remediate the mold found, and until the facility is repaired, the former headquarters is “not habitable.”
Smith said before any officers or employees move back to the headquarters, air quality must be deemed safe, and contractors must repair walls. He said he hoped that needed remediation and renovations will be completed before the end of the year.
He said other options for relocating police headquarters may be used in the coming weeks. To accommodate some police operations, the Borough Council meeting on Oct. 2 was moved and made an in-person meeting only.
Smith noted initially they did not notice the flooding at headquarters as officers were out assisting residents during the intense storm, which included hail.
The National Center for Environmental Health says there is always a little mold everywhere — in the air and on many surfaces.
“Certain molds are toxigenic, meaning they can produce toxins (specifically “mycotoxins”). Hazards presented by molds that may produce mycotoxins should be considered the same as other common molds which can grow in your house. Not all fungi produce mycotoxins and even those that do will not do so under all surface or environmental conditions.
“Mold growth, which often looks like spots, can be many different colors, and can smell musty. Color is not an indication of how dangerous a mold may be. Any mold should be removed and the moisture source that helped it grow should be removed.
“There are very few reports that toxigenic molds found inside homes can cause unique or rare health conditions such as pulmonary hemorrhage or memory loss. These case reports are rare, and a causal link between the presence of the toxigenic mold and these conditions has not been proven.”
Town DPW took flood damage from Ida
It was just over two years ago when Mayor John Ruocco said the Borough of Hillsdale needed to do more to educate residents — particularly new arrivals — about its evacuation procedures after Category 4 Hurricane Ida slammed into Louisiana and its remnants then chewed their way northeast, including through the flood-prone Pascack Valley.
Ruocco told Pascack Press on Sept. 7, 2021 that the DPW building suffered damage in the flood — it took “a direct hit” — and that hundreds of tons of salt were lost. The recycling center was closed temporarily.