Gresham closes fire station because of mold

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Gresham closes fire station because of mold

Posted by The Oregonian

OregonLive.com - Portland,OR

http://blog.oregonlive.com/breakingnews/2007/02/gresham_closes_fire_s

tation_be.html

February 28, 2007 17:39PM

GRESHAM -- Gresham Fire Department officials have closed a fire

station -- plagued for years by a leaky roof -- because of health

problems associated with potentially toxic mold.

Station 76, a Fire District 10 station at Southeast 302nd Avenue and

Dodge Park Boulevard, was shut down Feb. 20 after firefighters in

January complained of upper respiratory problems and sinus pain,

said Gresham Dep. Chief Jim Klum. Gresham is under contract to run

the station for Fire District 10.

" They were getting sick, and the crews didn't feel comfortable

staying in there, " Klum said. " If the crews don't feel comfortable,

I don't feel comfortable. To err on the side of safety, we moved

them out. "

Klum said it will take another two weeks before tests on the mold

are completed. In the meantime, firefighters are working in the

parking lot out of mobile command trailer borrowed from the

Multnomah County Department of Emergency Management.

Lt. Kirk , assigned to the station for about five years, said

the building has always been damp because of its flat roof and

drainage problems. He believes the mold problem, he said, was

exacerbated by poor ventilation and remodeling jobs that created

separate sleeping quarters for firefighters.

Last week, after meeting with firefighters, fire officials emptied

the building and spent two days moving computers, faxes and other

electronic equipment into the mobile command center.

Greg s, president of the Gresham Professional Firefighters

Union Local 1062, said the arrangement is not getting in the way of

providing fire services to the community.

Stuart Tomlinson; stuarttomlinson@...