Fire protection business owner charged

NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) - A search warrant served on a local fire protection business led to an arrest Monday.

"This is potentially a huge thing," said Battalion Chief Harry Worley.

Norfolk fire officials say the owner of Atlas Fire Protection, Stephen Paul Ganger, was arrested for failure to perform testing in accordance with approved standards.

"His prices were way under, and that is how he built his clientele," said Worley.

Norfolk and Chesapeake Fire Marshals, with the assistance of Department of Transportation investigators executed the search warrant Monday. As a result, officials say evidence found and statements made by Mr. Ganger, indicate fire protection systems, such as cooking hood fire extinguisher systems, fire alarm systems, building sprinkler systems, and fire extinguishers inspected, tested, certified, or maintained by Atlas Fire Protection may be unsafe and will need to be properly inspected to ensure safe and effective operation. 

"A confession by him was he was just putting stickers on bottles and sending them back out again," Worley added.

Officials say Atlas performed testing and inspections on businesses, places of assembly, restaurants, institutions and vessels. One of the places that will need to be re-inspected is the Alpha Beta Cappa Christian Academy. The principal would not go on camera, but he said Ganger did excellent work on the hood ventilation system in the school's kitchen.

Tom Everett has worked for Ganger and says there was never any funny business on the job.

"The employees all seem to respect him, and was doing everything by the book. We never cut corners as far as I know of," said Everett.

Worley said, "One of the things he's being charged with is a failure to keep documents. He had a lack of documentation. He had no documents."

If your business had fire systems installed by Atlas, your asked to call your local Fire Marshal's Office. In Norfolk, that number is 664-6604.

Officials have not said what led to the investigation, nor have they said how many businesses may have been affected.

Ganger is facing 37 charges, possibly more as the investigation continues.