Fire station mold worries Madison

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Fire station mold worries Madison

Wednesday, August 01, 2007

Huntsville Times - Huntsville,AL*

By WENDY REEVESTimes Staff Writer

wendy.reeves@...

http://www.al.com/news/huntsvilletimes/index.ssf?/base/news/118595973

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MADISON - The Madison City Council will hold a special called

meeting Thursday morning to consider approving $50,000 for temporary

housing for firefighters at Station 2 on Road.

During Tuesday night's meeting of the council's Finance Committee,

Mayor Sandy Kirkindall said within the past week mold was found in

the old house that houses Station 2, across the street from

Discovery Middle School.

" We're going to need temporary housing on site while we decide

whether to (remedy) the mold or bulldoze the house and start over, "

Kirkindall said.

Fire Chief Ralph Cobb said the fire engine can remain in the bay,

but the firefighters need another place to stay.

" Our firefighters are at risk, " City Councilwoman McCollum

said. " This is a safety and health issue. "

Cobb said he'd looked at the cost of leasing a trailer or buying a

used trailer, but both were in the $20,000 range. To buy a new

single-wide trailer, the cost would be about $25,000; for a double-

wide, it would be about $39,900.

" It's your decision, but if you bulldoze and rebuild, we're looking

at 18 to 19 months, " Cobb said.

Kirkindall recommended the city buy a double-wide for the site to

house the Station 2 firefighters. He said the city can either sell

it or use it for the department's training site after the mold issue

is settled.

The station has been based in the house since the late 1980s. It was

built in the 1960s around another house that was built in the 1920s,

Kirkindall said.

An assessment of the house was made after firefighters noticed

wallpaper peeling. The inspection revealed mold throughout the house

and in the air-conditioning system.

Finance Committee members McCollum, Larry Vannoy and Bob Wagner

agreed Tuesday to allow Cobb to transfer $50,000 from his personnel

budget to his capital budget to cover the costs of the temporary

housing.

The council will vote on the expenditure on Thursday. The meeting is

at 8 a.m.