Fire Cripples Passaic County Jail’s Laundry

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Created on Sunday, 02 June 2002 13:00

Written by Staff

PASSAIC, NJ – A fire that broke out in a New Jersey prison laundry last week damaging light fixtures and electrical wiring is currently under investigation. The fire, which was contained to the laundry room in the Passaic County Jail, injured no one.

“We’re speculating that it was a cigarette,” said Warden Meyers. “It started in a store room in the laundry room at about 2:40 p.m.”

The Passaic County Jail laundry operates in two shifts with one correction officer and seven trustees per shift and processes approximately 8,000 pounds a day for 1700 inmates. Until the laundry is up and running again, Preakness Hospital in nearby Wayne, New Jersey will be processing the jail’s goods.

“It’s kind of ironic that Preakness will be handling our laundry,” said Meyers. “We were in the process of replacing our equipment to take on the hospital’s laundry. So far we only have one machine in place.” Both facilities, Preakness Hospital and the Passaic County Jail are county owned and the county was in the process of renovating the jail’s laundry prior to consolidating laundry services there. The new equipment will consist of 4 Milnor 140-pound washers and 4 Milnor 170-pound gas dryers.

When the renovation is complete, Passaic County Jail will be processing 13,000 pounds a day.

“That’s a lot of laundry,” said Meyers.