The Library will be open for limited services today. This weekend, a sprinkler head burst upstairs, and much of the building was affected.
We're mostly dry now thanks in large part to the fast action of New Lenox Fire Protection District, Midwest Fire Suppression, and ServiceMaster by Bouck — extended kudos from our Facilities Manager are below:
Special recognition goes out to three outside groups in particular:
NLFPD Lt. Chmura and all of the firefighters who sacrifice their holiday season by being on-duty over Christmas. Their speed in arrival and diligence in making sure that all water was turned off as quickly as possible inside of the Library helped to mitigate the flood damage. FYI, water flows from our fire sprinkler heads at a rate of 30 gallons per minute, or one gallon EVERY TWO SECONDS. Quite literally, every second counts in a situation such as this.
Ray Robinson from Midwest Fire Suppression who not only came out immediately to repair the broken sprinkler head and stay for several hours to inspect the rest of the system as it thawed out; but he also helped cover book stacks with plastic as the water made its way through the floor and rapidly began spreading across a large part of the ceiling in YS.
Tom and his crew from ServiceMaster By Bouck who came in with a small army of people and a large battery of equipment to remove water damaged building materials, drain flooded ductwork insulation, suck up all of the water, and begin the tedious drying-out process with industrial-sized fans and dehumidifiers. Out of the four emergency water cleanup companies contacted that morning, Tom's was the only one who could answer the phone call AND quickly begin the cleanup to stop the damage that was happening as the flood water continued to leak down from the second floor.
We can't express our gratitude enough.
Update, 10:15 AM: Upstairs non-fiction and Teen Scene areas are blocked off. Upstairs computers are not available, and copiers are not currently functioning. Downstairs computers are available for all ages while upstairs computers are unavailable. The rest of Youth Services will be blocked off.
We ask for your patience today. We will keep you updated.
Update on Wednesday, December 28: Adult & Teen Services upstairs will fully reopen today.