MIDDLETOWN – The three firehouses in Middletown are going to be fitted with swipe cards for firefighters to gain access and cameras for interior and exterior surveillance.
The move comes following a captain being arrested as a major drug dealer and holding meetings with biker gangs in the Central Firehouse late at night to coordinate distribution.
Mayor Joseph DeStefano said members of the department, both volunteer and career, will have swipe cards.
“You will have limited access and limited public access without checking in and we will have security monitors in the buildings, both taped and in the central firehouse, the person on the desk will be able to monitor the interior and exterior of the building,” the mayor said.
The department’s seven fire trucks are housed in the Central Firehouse, the Waalkill and the Ontario and Phoenix firehouses.
DeStefano estimates the initial cost of the new system will be about $100,000. Bids for the equipment and installation were due back to the city late last week.
