Video - Fire Station Shuts Down Again

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Fire Station Shuts Down Again

KVEO-TV - Brownsville,TX*

By Macias

Jul 16, 2008

http://www.kveo.com/home/ticker/25523554.html

Fire Station 6 in Brownsville has been shut down for the second time

in less than a month. Officials shut it down last Friday.

Firefighters and EMS have been relocated. Brownsville Fire Chief

Lenny says this temporary shut-down is to fix the problems

that were found in the inspection that was conducted weeks ago. But

firefighters don't believe that report. So they hired an out-of-

state consultant to make her own observations.

May, who is OSHA accredited and is a mold expert from

Illinois, was contacted by local firefighters from the station. She

says these firefighters were concerned about the toxic environment

in the building.

She says those samples were taken to an outside lab. The results

were not what firefighters hoped for.

" The report came back that every single sample had Aspergillus. It's

not only in the sleeping quarters. It's also in the kitchen,

bathrooms, living room, in the bay of garage. "

The fungi found in all samples are a neurotoxin that is deadly if

someone is exposed to it for a long time. May tells us the

firefighters at the station should have evacuated the building weeks

ago. Elizondo has worked at the station for a month now and

he tells us ever since he relocated he's been feeling sick.

" I thought I was having airway trouble. I'm never short of breath

unless I'm running of course. Also, 15 minutes as soon as you get

into that place I start having a migraine, I don't suffer from

migraines. "

May says those are typical symptoms when exposed to neurotoxins.

Other symptoms include: blurred vision, open sores, fatigue and

nausea. Elizondo wants to get educated but also educate the public

about the dangers of black mold. He also wants to see the building

spotless before returning to work there.

Elizondo says firefighters will run new samples once the building is

cleaned out. They want to make sure the building is spotless before

returning.