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Little Axe Resource Center Status
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On Friday June 6th 2008 at approximately 1:45 a.m. The Little Axe Resource Center fire suppression/well house burned after being hit by lightening according to Capt. Glover of the Norman Fire Department. It was also observed that no one in the area appeared to have power, after a severe storm came through the area.

            On Monday June 9th 2008 the Tribe immediately contacted the tribe’s insurance company about the fire damage to get it repaired as soon as possible. In the mean time on waiting for the Insurance Adjuster to arrive the tribe has looked at temporary solutions to get the Center going again.  The problem is the well house that not only housed the water well controls but also the septic system controls and the sprinkler system fire suppression pumps and controls.

            As you can see in the following pictures the lightening and fire burned all the controls to the equipment, so if we were to get temporary water and sewer to the center we still could not have anyone occupy the building without the sprinkler system in working order. The Resource Center is located on fee land within the jurisdiction of the City of Norman which whom enforces the local building and occupancy codes that would not allow the Center to re-open without the fire sprinkler system in working order and inspected, for the protection of our tribal members.  

            The Tribe has contacted Simplex Grinnell, who is the fire sprinkler company which installed the system when the building was built, for an evaluation and cost estimate to repair/replace the fire suppression system pump and equipment. A contractor has been contacted and evaluated the well house to replace the electric, the roof, and re-finish the inside and outside of the well house. The septic system and water well companies have also been contacted for cost estimates, which have already been turned into the Tribe.

             We realize the process of getting the Resource Center open again has been lengthy, but we are dealing with major components that have been damaged and the time frame of the Insurance Company and its adjusters schedule to evaluate the damage.      

          
             The Insurance Adjuster will be evaluating the well house fire damage Monday June 30, 2008. After the Adjusters evaluation we are looking at moving forward as quickly as possible with the contractors who have already evaluated the damage and turned over a cost estimate for repairs.

             Another status report will be posted when a construction completion and re-opening date is scheduled. 
We apologize for any inconvenience the temporary closure of the Resource Center may have caused.