Two months after revelations about deficiencies in fire suppression systems at Brunswick airport hangars, bringing them up to code has taken more time than expected.

After not being able to meet its second deadline for corrective action, the Midcoast Regional Redevelopment Authority will provide status updates in lieu of a new deadline, Deputy Fire Chief Josh Shean said. The authority, which manages property and the redevelopment at Brunswick Landing (formerly Brunswick Naval Air Station), originally had a deadline of Oct. 30 to correct issues cited in the violation, including faulty control units, aging parts, horn and strobe problems, and nonfunctional flame detectors. That deadline was missed and consequently extended until the end of November.

Shean said the department hasn’t issued any fines against MRRA despite the missed deadlines, citing “the complexity of the systems and the open communication.”

“We continue to work closely with the town Fire Department and our contractor on resolving these issues,” said interim MRRA Executive Director Steve Levesque, who came aboard after former director Kristine Logan resigned in October. Her resignation came one month after deficient inspection revelations for Hangar 4, which spilled 1,450 gallons of toxic aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF) mixed with 50,000 gallons of water in August, sparked outrage among local leaders.

Shean noted early on in the process that the deadline could be adjusted to match the progress that the authority was making in corrections. Shipping delays for parts prompted the first extension of deadline, for instance.

“The system testing at MRRA continues to be a complicated process,” Shean wrote in an email to The Times Record. “The alarm system testing is complete. In conducting the service to the system, it was identified that some components of the foam system have not been tested recently and cannot be tested because the components are obsolete, can not be replaced, and may not rest if activated.”

Shean said he is working closely with MRRA and Eastern Fire — the company contracted to resolve the issues and the same company that issued the inspection reports — and said that instead of establishing dates to complete the work, it would be more appropriate to specify a time for a next status update. Shean said there is no date for the next inspection, and that the Fire Department’s next follow-up is scheduled for Friday.

Shean also noted that MRRA has already started the risk assessment process — a project to find an interim fire safety plan for MRRA-run hangars — which Levesque said will be completed in the next few months.

The update is the latest step in the effort to correct deficiencies found in a pair of July 2023 inspections for Hangars 5 and 6. At the time the notice of violation was issued, the authority had not submitted documentation indicating the proper repairs have been made.

At the time, Shean told the Portland Press Herald that he was confident MRRA could meet the deadline. He also noted at the time that failing to meet the deadline comes with a $100 fine, which can increase as time passes and ultimately shift to civil litigation.