GLEN RIDGE, NJ — Ventilation improvements to the Glen Ridge Police Department firing range, located in the basement of the Herman Street headquarters, are “functionally complete,” according to Erik DeLine, director of planning and development, in a June 6 email. Required now, DeLine said, is “the final, walk-through inspection’” and “a couple of things we decided to repaint and new sound buffers to the walls.”
While the capital project, which began at the end of 2021, was underway, DeLine had said that there were requirements to remove lead dust from the atmosphere.
“In the past, we’ve had fresh air coming in and natural ventilation,” he said. “To meet requirements, a fan will be blowing the dust further down the range.”
The work, which cost $130,000, included the installation of a duct system through an adjoining records storage room.
“There was duct work, but only minimal,” DeLine said. “The (new) work didn’t take too long.”
In an email, GRPD Chief Sean Quinn said the vendor who performs the range cleaning suggested an upgraded ventilation system.
“We brought in an expert in 2019,” Quinn said. “A study was performed. Based upon the results, we proceeded with design and project development.”
Air samples for lead are not required, and the range is routinely cleaned by a lead removal company. The GRPD does not have a pistol range certification requirement.
“The instructors are certified range masters/firearms instructors,” Quinn said. “They are certified by the NJ Police Training Commission. Pistols, shotguns and rifles that fire small-caliber handgun rounds are used in the range. Restriction of use is based on caliber, not type of firearm. The approximate size of the range is 85 feet long by 8 feet wide.”
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