$2.2M fire destroys west side office building
Less than 12 hours after a fire broke out in a west side office building owned by a well-established children's advocacy organization, an operational plan is in place and a fund has been created to help the group move forward.
Jody Bartnick, the executive director of
Community Coordinated Child Care, commonly referred to as 4-C, said
a staff meeting was planned for Thursday morning and officials
already had toured available office space by Wednesday afternoon.
The fire that began around 4 a.m. Wednesday left the interior of
the two-story building, located at 5 Odana Court just off Odana
Road between Whitney Way and Grand Canyon Drive, completely
gutted.
The smell of smoke and burnt materials hung thick in the air Wednesday afternoon, with sections of the brick exterior bent inward like pieces of melted plastic. Exposed insulation, framework and jagged white siding were visible on the one side of the roof that remained intact. The rest of the roof was gone.
"We are determined to get back out there as soon as we can," Bartnick said Wednesday afternoon. "This is a tight group. If anyone can get through this, we can."
Families, child care providers and education officials in need of assistance in the days ahead will be able to reach members of the 4-C staff by calling the same number, which has been rerouted to an answering service. In addition, a fund has been set up through First Business Bank to assist in replacing everything lost by the fire.
"We are in need of everything at this point," Bartnick said. "Everything in the building was lost."
Lost in the blaze were computers and paper files that contained information about the numerous programs offered by the organization. While the paper files cannot be replaced, a majority of its services are Internet-based and can be retrieved from other locations, Bartnick said.
She remained optimistic that the 37-year-old organization would be able to continue serving clients almost immediately. She stressed that a majority of 4-C's employees work daily with families, child care and educational providers in 20 counties across the state, and that will not change. Twenty-nine people worked at the office on Odana Court.
Lutheran Social Services of Wisconsin and Upper Michigan rented office space from 4-C in the same office building. The Odana Court location was Lutheran Social Services' main office in Madison, though it has offices across the state. A behavioral health clinic and adoption offices were located inside.
As with 4-C, calls for Lutheran Social Services have been rerouted and numerous Madison churches have offered the use of their space until a long-term solution is found, said Briena Jacob, a spokesperson for the Milwaukee-based organization.
"We will be able to continue our counseling and services," Jacob said. "The transition should be seamless." The group had 39 employees working in the Madison office.
The fire still was burning in the basement of the building Wednesday afternoon, forcing investigators to call off efforts around 2 p.m. Wednesday.
"Investigators have educated guesses on the (fire's) point of origin, but not on the cause," said Lori Wirth, a spokesperson for the Madison Fire Department.
Those who would like to contribute to the 4-C fund are encouraged to send donations to: First Business Bank, 401 Charmany Drive, Madison, WI, 53719.
Photo courtesy of Madison Fire Department
A fire destroyed a building housing 4-C Community Coordinated Child Care and Lutheran Social Services Wednesday morning on Madison's west side.
